Roasted Mustard Potatoes January 27, 2008

I love making this dish!!!  The smell of the mustard when it’s in the oven is divine…

ROASTED MUSTARD POTATOES

2 lbs red-skinned baby potatoes, cut in quarters or halved

6 tbs mustard - dijon, grain or spicy mustards will all work great here

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp Italian seasonings

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Canola oil spray

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the mustard, garlic, Italian seasonings, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
3. Place cut potatoes in the same bowl with the mustard mixture and toss to fully coat all the potatoes.
4. Move the mustard-coated potatoes into a  baking sheet sprayed with canola oil spray.
5. Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes until potatoes are tender when speared with a fork.

Herbed Roasted Potatoes January 27, 2008

This is one of the easiest and nicest side dishes you can create.  I make it in a toaster oven while I prepare the main dish.

 

HERBED ROASTED POTATOES

2 lbs of red skin or other waxy potatoes, washed and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbs garlic salt

2 tbs Italian seasonings 

2 tbs white pepper

2 tbs parsley - dried or fresh

2 tbs kosher salt

2 tbs lemon zest

2 tbs paprika (optional)

4 tbs Liquid soy margarine - I eye-ball this usually… enough to coat the potatoes.

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together all the herbs and spices - garlic salt, Italian seasonings, white pepper, parsley, kosher salt, lemon zest and paprika, if using.
3. Drizzle a small amount of the liquid margarine and “butter” the baking dish or roasting pan you’ll be using to roast these potatoes.  This way you’ll ensure the potatoes will not stick to the bottom. 
4. Place cubed potatoes in the roasting pan or dish in a single layer.  Drizzle liquid margarine on top of potatoes and sprinkle the herb mixture.  Using your clean hands, massage the potatoes with the margarine and the herb mixture until the potato cubes are all slathered with margarine and herbs.
5. Roast in oven for about 30-35 minutes - until potatoes are golden brown and soft when you pierce them with a knife.  Move them around the half-time mark if you want.  I sometimes forget and they usually turn out OK.

2008 - Year of the Potato January 27, 2008

I love potatoes.  If I had to eat only one food, I think potatoes would be it.  They’re soooo versatile - you can fry, boil, roast, broil, bake, stew, mash, smash, and basically do anything to them and potatoes will reward you with a delicious and nutritious treat every time. 

Potatoes are so important in the world’s culinary and nutritional environments the United Nations named 2008 the year of the Potato, based on the role the potato can play in providing food security, eradicating poverty and achieving development goals - WOW!!

There’s one more reason why I love potatoes - my grandfather in Cuba was a well-known potato grower.  He was known by everyone in his town in the southern part of the Havana province simply as “Neno, el papero” - papero being roughly translated to “potatoer”.  My grandfather’s potatoes were consumed locally in Cuba, but mainly exported to the US.  When my good friend Angie learned about this, she lovingly nicknamed me - the Cuban Potato Queen.  To tell you the truth, this has stuck a bit and I even have artwork made by a good friend and artist as homage to this nickname.

I never got to meet my grandfather Neno.  He left his physical body a few years before my mom and dad met here in Puerto Rico…  So in honor of my grandfather’s potato heritage, I have decided to create in my blog a POTATO FESTIVAL.  A collection of potato dishes made to highlight all the goodness and versatility of this discreet tuber.  Some are side dishes, some are main dishes… we might even find some appetizers and desserts in this collection… however, I will assure you, they will all be incredibly delicious.

Hope you like them as much as I will like preparing them…

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Potato and Fried Eggplant Pastelón

Creamy Potatoes

Sweet Potato Pastelón

Agave Nectar January 23, 2008

I learned about Agave nectar when I attended the Conscious Gourmet cooking seminar this past April.  I am sure I walked past it a million times in many health food stores, but I usually consume honey or brown sugar to sweeten things and have not had the need to use anything else…

 

At the seminar we discussed refined sugars and all the potential health conditions it’s associated with, such as:

Candida

Depression

Crohn’s Disease/Colitis

Ulcers

Hypertension

Gallstones

Kidney-stones

Even, Cancer

So based on this information, why not use and consume a more natural and non-processed form of sweetener?

Agave nectar is made from the same plant Tequila is made.  Cool, huh?  So because it’s a plant-based sweetener, it’s also vegan.  Another cool thing about agave nectar is it has a very low glycemic index.  This means that when you consume it, it will barely increase the glucose levels in your blood, therefore not increasing the production of insulin nor activating the fat storage system.  Hey, I learned this from my sister who is a diabetic from the age of 15 and an endocrinologist.

Just to give you an idea of the glycemic index of different foods:

Corn Flakes         119

White Bread       112

Rice                        83

Honey                   83

Apple                    54

Peas                      32

Agave nectar     27

Agave nectar then is great for those people who are diabetic, are watching their carbohydrate intake or blood glucose levels or even watching their weight.   You can see how my friend Kathleen lost about 45lbs. this last year and agave nectar is one of the few sweeteners she now uses.

And don’t underestimate its sweetness.   Agave nectar is sweeter than table sugar, but it’s not processed or contains any chemicals.  Actually, you should use about ¼ to 1/3 less amount of agave than you would sugar or honey.   You use it the same way you would use honey - to sweeten beverages, desserts, hot cereals, smoothies, yogurts, etc.  I even use it to sweeten my Spinach Crepes recipe.

Check out agave nectar the next time you go to your local health food store.  Try it, you’ll not be disappointed…

Vanilla Maple Carrots January 21, 2008

Believe it or not… this is one of the recipes that started it all.  I found this recipe in the November 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living, did it and was sooooo easy and tasty that I shared it with my friend Kathleen.  She made it, liked it and posted it on her blog Kathleen’s Vegetarian Kitchen.  The rest… is blogosphere history.

 So far, I have made this about 3 times at the Yoga Center I attend and I always get requests to make it again.  I know my pictures are not yet to Martha’s standards, but with practice, I hope to get there one day…  at least the flavors are already there.

 Again, the times I have done this, I have done 5 lbs. of carrots at a time.  So I will follow the original recipe’s quantities to adapt to the regular household amounts.

VANILLA MAPLE CARROTS

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1-2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine carrots and water in a large skillet or saucepan. Season the water with salt and scrape the insides of the vanilla pod and mix in with the water. Throw in the vanilla pod left as well.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook carrots until they’re tender, about 10-13 minutes. Martha’s recipe says the water evaporates, mine never does evaporate a lot. So….
3. Drain all the water from the carrots.
4. Add syrup, honey, pepper and toss to combine. Be careful not to break up any carrots.

 This makes a great side dish on any night, but would also work particularly well for Thanksgiving or for any potluck dinner.

Stuffed Mushrooms January 21, 2008

I realized last night, I made this recipe a few months ago and forgot to post it…

I love mushrooms.  I salivate when I travel to visit my sister in Indiana or to New York and go to any regular supermarket and see the wide variety of fresh mushrooms available.  Here we get mostly white button mushrooms and with luck, sometimes we can find portobellos, creminis or oysters… but they’re usually old soggy-looking, so I never buy them like that.

I learned this recipe from my other good friend, Giada De Laurentiis.    And until now, I haven’t realized my photo resembled so much the photo in the Food Network website.  I usually make this by “eye-balling” the proportion of the ingredients… so we’ll just use Giada’s proportions as a guide this time.

 

 STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs - I grind ww breadsticks or leftover bread in the food processor 
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Garlic & Herb Seasoning or Italian Seasonings
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large white or cremini mushrooms, stemmed

Save about 1/2 the mushroom stems

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare the stuffing by mixing in a bowl the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, seasonings, salt and pepper.  Add olive oil until the mixture is damp and holds somewhat together when you press it between your fingers.
3. Take about 1/2 the mushrooms stems you took off and chop them very finely.  Add them to the breadcrumb mix and combine.
4. Fill each mushroom cap - not too tightly because they might break.
5. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet, place mushroom caps on sheet and drizzle additional olive oil on top of the mushrooms.

 

6.  Bake for about 30 minutes until mushrooms are soft and the top of the filling is golden brown.

7.  Serve warm.

These are great as an appetizer or as a side dish.  I once made a “stuffed night” and served these mushrooms with my Stuffed Peppers and worked great.

Clementines - My favorite winter citrus January 20, 2008

Citrus are mainly in season during winter-time. I read somewhere the season starts in November.  I know we have lemons here all year round… but when I visit Costco, it’s near the December/January time-frame where I see and can purchase one of my favorite citrus fruits… CLEMENTINES!!!!!!!

 

I learned about these delicious and cute Clementines about 10 years ago, but was not able to get them here in PR… and when Costco opened their doors about 6 years ago, they started bringing them.  I love them because they’re petite, mostly seedless, super sweet and their membranes are really thin, so they’re easy to eat in segments.

I regularly do not eat regular oranges in segments… I learned this when I was in school in Chicago and we had to do a project about the introduction to market of an Orange.  People would talk about eating them without a knife and I was - hello!!! speak for yourself!!!  I have to peel an orange with a knife and cut them in half … just like you would if you were using a juicer to make fresh squeezed juice.  I eat oranges like this because i can’t stand the bitterness of the membranes around the segments.

So for those of us who do not like orange membranes, Clementines are the perfect orange for you… as they are for me.  And the cute wooden crate is just an added plus.

Try some soon and tell me all about it…

 http://www.producepete.com/shows/clementines.html

Freezing Berries January 20, 2008

I guess I am in a very fruity mode these days… but I indeed mentioned that one of my new year’s resolutions were to eat more fruit and vegetables.  I am taking you along for the ride…

I love making myself fruit smoothies in the mornings.  Particularly, I LOOOOOVE adding fresh berries to them.  Unfortunately,  in a way, is that berries are pretty expensive… I am paying these days between $7 and $8 for a pound of strawberries.  I guess they’re not in season in the US and they’re bringing them from God-knows-where. And there’s little I can do to reduce my carbon footprint in regards to this… because we don’t grow berries in Puerto Rico, I either buy them imported, frozen, or not eat them at all.

What I want to share with you is about freezing berries… this is a trick I learned, again, from my good friend Martha Stewart (she does not know how good friends we are…)   With the price I pay for berries, I can’t eat them all at once and they’re prone to spoil fast.  To avoid this when I purchase these beautiful strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or any other berry… is to freeze them individually on a baking sheet and then store them.

I wash the berries, remove any stems, dry them as well as I can and place them without touching on a baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet on the freezer overnight and then store the berries in a freezer plastic storage bag.  Never freeze them all clumped up in a bag, because then you’ll have a tough time separating them if you need just a small amount at a time.

 

This way, I have great tasting berries anytime.

Hope this helps…

Acid Fruit Salad January 19, 2008

Fruit salad come in different varieties - those made with what we call “sweet” fruits - like bananas, papayas, mangoes, red apples, etc.  And my favorite, “acid” fruit salads, made with fruits that are more tart, like oranges, kiwi fruit, grapes, strawberries, pineapples, etc.

At work, we planned a breakfast to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday.  I was somewhat surprised thta no one had offered to bring any fresh fruits.  The ”pot luck” menu was full of baked goods, greasy foods and not a fruit in sight.  So I offered to bring a fruit salad.  This is one of my favorite combinations…

 

ACID FRUIT SALAD

1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces

5 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut in small pieces

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces

1 medium bunch of green or red grapes, cut in half and seeded, if not seedless

2 navel oranges, peeled and supremed

4 red plums, peeled and cut into small pieces

the juice of 1 lemon

honey to taste

1. Mix in a large bowl the pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapes and plums. 
2. When you peel and cut the apple, drizzle some of the lemon juice to prevent browning.  Add to salad.
3. To supreme the oranges, peel all the orange until you reach the flesh.  With a paring knife, cut in between each membrane so you get clean segments of orange without the membrane.  This way it’s easier to eat.  Add to the salad.  Squeeze the membrane over the salad to capture any remaining juice.
4. Drizzle with some honey to sweeten if the fruits are too tart.  This will also help “juice” the fruits a bit.

This is the best way to start your day… Enjoy!!!

Tuno Antipasto January 19, 2008

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

1. 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.
2. 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!!!

Veggie Party Dip January 19, 2008

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

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

Veggie Party Sandwiches January 19, 2008

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

1. Mix together the cream cheese, tomato, onion and pepper.
2. Add olive oil in small increments to soften the mixture until it’s in an easy-to-spread consistency.
3. 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…

Cherry Carob Cookies January 11, 2008

I started my cooking adventures mainly by making Martha Stewart’s cookie recipes.  Most of them are easy and super delicious.

My favorite cookie by far are these Cherry Carob Cookies… they’re an adapted version of Martha’s Torie’s Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  I have made these cookies, the original recipe and the new adapted version, to give as gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Xmas, and even Birthdays.  I always get requests for them.  This time around I made them for my dear friend Choy, who makes the most awesome vegetarian egg-less cheesecake. 

Hope you enjoy them as much as we all do…

 

CHERRY CAROB COOKIES

2 1/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla powder

equivalent of 2 eggs from egg replacer

1 cup carob chips

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup toffee chips

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda.  Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
4. Mix in the salt, vanilla and egg replacer. 
5. Add flour mixture in 3-4 batches.  Mix until just combined.
6. Stir in the carob chips, cherries and toffee chips.
7. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough 2 inches apart in a cookie sheet lined with a silplat or unbleached parchment paper.
8. Bake until golden around the edges. about 10 -12 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.  After a few minutes, transfer warm cookies to a cooling rack to  cool completely.
10. Store cookies in the fridge for up to 1 week in a tightly sealed container.

But don’t worry, they will not last long.  They are eaten best with a tall cold glass of milk. 

Fried Cauliflower January 11, 2008

We already established I like fried foods, right?

But believe me, for the amount of fried foods I have posted on this blog, I do not eat that many of them… maybe like once a week, maybe. I think it’s just that we’re around the holidays here and these are “more or less” permissible things around the holidays… eat fried foods now, diet and exercise in the new year… But I find that if you exercise and eat healthy all the time, as part of your daily routine, you can indulge every once in a while in a fried morsel of crispy goodness.

Enough…

Here are my interpretation of Fried Cauliflower. I learned to eat this, believe it or not, at the salad bar at Ponderosa Steakhouse. The salad bars here in PR offer, in addition to the standard salad fare, corn sorullitos, macaroni and cheese, cooked corn, steamed carrots, and sometimes, fried cauliflower. They’re sooooo tasty. But the secret of their tastiness is in the batter. Let me show you how…

FRIED CAULIFLOWER

1 head of cauliflower, cut in medium sized florets
2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour

2 tbs cornstarch
3 tbs sofrito
1 tbs salt or garlic salt

1 tbs Herbamare herbed salt
a few grinds of cracked black pepper
water - about 2 cups
a few sprinkles of paprika - optional
Canola oil - for frying

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and the water. Mix the water slowly, maybe in two batches. The idea is for the batter to be the same consistency as pancake batter.
2. Add to the batter, the sofrito, salt, herbed salt and pepper. Add paprika, if using.
3. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Dunk the pieces of cauliflower in the batter. Clean the piece of any running batter and place carefully in the hot oil.
5. Fry the little morsels until golden brown on all sides. It should take a few minutes - this way the cauliflower will cook/soften a bit and the batter will be golden brown and crunchy.

Eat on their own or dunk in Mayo Ketchup.

Hope you like them!!!

My Favorite Whisk January 11, 2008

My favorite whisk I got in London…

But I didn’t even buy it. It was a gift included when I bought a cooking magazine with Jamie Oliver on the cover. Jame Oliver was incentive enough to buy the magazine (he’s sooooooo cute!!!!), but the whisk was a nice add-on. I was at Heathrow Airport during a lay-over, everything is super expensive there, so it’s nice to get stuff for “free” whenever we can… no?

I was unsure on how this new contraption would work… because to my knowledge then, all whisks were balloon-like. But to my surprise, this whisk format is super easy to use, super efficient and does not take up a lot of space in my utensil drawer.

Even more, my whisk was further validated when I saw Nigella Lawson use it several times in her TV shows. Apparently, this is the whisk of choice in the UK… and now it’s also MY whisk of choice.

Maybe it can become yours too… and start a whisk revolution, don’t you think?

Mustard Vinaigrette January 11, 2008

It’s the time of New Year resolutions… another one of mine - eat more salads at home.

I tend to eat big salads when I eat out or a side salad when I feel what I am eating is not that healthy - like a pizza. I try to add more nutrition by accompanying whatever I am having with a salad. But at home, sometimes I get lazy. But I have noticed that when I am hooked to the taste of an awesome dressing, I look forward to eating a salad at home everyday.

This is my new vice - Mustard Vinaigrette. Easy, tasty, and goes well with any greens and vegetables you might fancy in your salad. I did this to accompany my not-so-healthy veggie “chicken” nuggets.

I make this by “eye-balling” the ingredients… so bear with me here on the quantities.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 tbs Dijon or Grain Mustard
1 tbs Apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra-virgin Olive oil

1. In the same bowl you’ll prepare your salad, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
2. Then, pour olive oil slowly while whisking it in, until you get a nice emulsified dressing mixture.
3. Taste to adjust any seasonings.
4.  Add any greens and vegetables you crave on your salad.

I am sure you could use this vinaigrette to season grilled vegetables - like portobello mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.

Enjoy!!!

Are there any Rice Cookers without Aluminum Insert??? January 9, 2008

I posted this question a few days ago in a blog I quite enjoy visiting and commenting in - Serious Eats. It’s not vegetarian, that’s why is not part of my BlogRoll.

Since I became a vegetarian, I was told how hazardous to our health was to cook on aluminum - cookware or foil. So, when I moved by myself and was buying all my kitchen stuff, I bought all stainless steel pots and pans. To me, it was something easy to do and would in the long run, not compromise my health.

However, I have not been able to replace my rice cooker. My rice cooker has been with me since 1992. My mom gave it to me as a present when I moved to Chicago for grad school. I have made any kind of rice you can imagine there - white rice, now wholegrain brown rice, rice with corn, rice with vienna sausages, now rice with tofu dogs, rice and vegetables, you name it… So I posted a question onto the Serious Eats TALK section to see if someone more foodie than I am could help me locate the rice cooker of my dreams - without the aluminum insert.

The responses have been many. But what surprised me most is that people were asking me WHY I wanted to eradicate cooking in aluminum. I guess thats one of the by-products of these community blogs where people share their opinions rather than aswering the question at hand… and even though I was surprised, I am also glad because the question sparked a discussion on the pros and cons of the different cookware and their health risks, if any.

My position and recommendation - to avoid using aluminum when cooking. Aluminum has been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease, osteporosis/softening of the bones, imparied kidney functions, memory loss, among others. My POV - if changing my pots and pans can help avoid these risks in any way… why not do it???

I use now stainless steel, glass, pyrex to cook. I line baking sheets with silplat or unbleached parchment paper. I confess, I use aluminum foil sparingly, just because of the convenience.

I included a link to my question in Serious Eats and let me know what’s your POV… and if you know of any rice cookers without aluminum inserts… I will really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Vegetarian “Chicken” Nuggets January 8, 2008

When I decided to become vegetarian, I was clear and sure I did not want to constantly eat food that resembled the animal products I was consciously not going to eat.  And even more,  I was never a fan of traditional chicken nuggets when I was not vegetarian.  So when I was offered to try vegetarian “chicken” nuggets I was not interested.  My friend insisted in buying me a bag to try…  and the rest is history.

This is not something I eat frequently.  But there are some times you want a snack, something to nibble on - you know, the munchies…  and when that time comes, these veggie nuggets usually hit the spot.  Here’s a photo of the packaging for your reference.

 

They’re super easy to make.  I just put them in a sheet pan sprayed with some canola oil spray and into a 400 degree toaster oven.  In 15 minutes or less, you’ll have crispy and tasty veggie nuggets.  Enjoy them on their own or with MayoKetchup sauce for dipping. 

          

The catch… I have to buy them when I travel to NYC’s Chinatown.  I have not seen them anywhere else. 

Nuggets with MayoKetchup January 8, 2008

Mayo what?????

People who are not from Puerto Rico usually ask me that question when I mention the Puerto Rican concoction MayoKetchup.  It’s exactly what it sounds like… a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup. 

Who invented it?  I don’t know.  I do know that some guy registered the name and the mixture, bottles it and sells it in supermarkets.  But why pay someone to mix something you already have in your fridge or cupboard?  I’ll show you how.

 

MayoKetchup

Egg-less mayonnaise

Ketchup

Garlic Salt to taste

1. In a bowl, mix 1 part ketchup to 1 1/2 parts mayonnaise… the thing is to have a bit more mayo than ketchup. 
2. Sprinkle and mix in some garlic salt to give an added dimension of flavor to the sauce. 

Use this to dip your favorite snacks…  I used it today to dunk some veggie “chicken” nuggets.  This is my version of fast food at home.  I also use it to dunk corn sorullitos, potato chips, and even as a base for a Thousand Island dressing.

 I hope you like it as much as I do.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie January 7, 2008

As part of my New Year’s resolutions I have to eat more fruits and vegetables…

I wish I had the time to make myself a huge fruit salad every morning, but I don’t.  So my alternative is to make myself a fruit smoothie every morning.  I try to mix up the fruits to use what’s in season, but also to suit my cravings.  I also try to add ingredients that will increase my protein and fiber content in the smoothie, such as soy protein powder or oatmeal.

This is the smoothie I made this morning…  strawberry banana with passion fruit juice.  It’s yummy…

 

STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE

1 banana

3 medium strawberries

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup fruit juice - orange, passion fruit, pineapple would all work

2 tablespoons of oatmeal

squirt of honey, optional

a few ice cubes

1. Mix all ingredients well in a blender.
2. Add a little water if it’s too thick.

Other fruit combinations I like:

papaya and mango

papaya and banana

strawberry and orange juice

strawberry and kiwi fruit

mango with passion fruit juice

mango and orange juice

blueberries and banana

raspberries and pineapple juice