In keeping with the international flavor of these last posts, I want to share with you a salad dressing that uses up any leftover tamari or soy sauce you use to marinate - in my case, it was tofu.

I am a firm believer in not wasting.  So, if the recipe calls for ¼ cup of something and that would leave a tiny bit left in the jar… dump it all in.  You should not either save a tiny bit that probably is not enough for something else in the future, nor throw it in the garbage either.  So when I marinated some tofu pieces the other day and was left with about a good 1-2 tbs of tamari left on the little dish, I decided to use it to make a dressing.

Many people come to me asking me for simple salad dressed ideas… salad dressings is even one of the offerings I have in my try-out culinary business, believe it or not.  People want something healthier than the bottled, preservatives filled options in the market these days.  But apparently, they are stumped when it comes to mixing it up.

Hey, oil and vinegar with some salt and pepper is the ultimate dressing…  mixing ip different kinds of oils and vinegars will give you different results.  But what if you’re into creamy dressings?  The solution is Mayonnaise.  Veggie Mayonnaise in our case.   Pay attention kids, because this will happen really quick…

CREAMY TAMARI DRESSING

¼ cup Veggie Mayo

A good squirt of ketchup

1-2 tbs tamari sauce

A squirt of honey

1 tbs lemon juice

A pinch of garlic salt or garlic powder

1. Mix everything up in a small bowl and spoon it over your favorite salad.

My salad was a simple lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad. The dressing is creamy and a bit salty and tangy.  Great partner for any stir fry or Asian rice dish.

I am in a real international vibe these days…  now I am on an Asian kick.  My mom started it because she’s been craving a tofu stir-fry I make with snow peas and bean sprouts.  The thing is that we have not been able to get together to actually make it. You know how it is with busy schedules…

So, in the meantime, I made for lunch this clean-out-the-fridge stir fry.  It was a completely impromptu dish…  not even planning to share it with you just yet.  But the results were soooo good, I had to take a picture of it. 

This is really a method…  you can change it up as you prefer.  This is what I used this time…

VEGETABLE LO-MEIN for one

1/8 packet of dry whole grain pasta - spaghetti or bucatini would work well

½ onion, sliced

½ red bell pepper, sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

3-4 leaves of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and cut into thin strips and tough stems removed

Handful of bean sprouts, washed and dried

3 tbs teriyaki sauce

1 tbs olive oil

Squirt of honey

Freshly cracked pepper to taste

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds - for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once water is boiling, add plenty of salt and add the pasta.  Cook according to package directions, approximately 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and peppers.  Stir to coat all the pieces with the olive oil.  Add the grated garlic over the onions and peppers.  Sauté for a few minutes.
3. When the onions start to get a cooked look, but are still crunchy, add the bean sprouts.  Sauté for a minute.  Add most of the lettuce pieces.  Sauté a few minutes more until the lettuce starts to wilt a bit.
4. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss to combine thoroughly.  Add the teriyaki sauce and toss again.  Add any remaining lettuce.  The noodles will absorb some of the sauce.
5. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

This was a very nice lunch indeed.  Filled with veggies, light, yet very satisfying.  You can definitely serve this for any weekday meal. 

I feel the need to apologize… I have not been posting and sharing with you as frequently as I would like to.

I have been quite busy with a cooking project - trying to evaluate if cooking for hire is a career move I really want to make.  I’ll let you in on more information as it becomes available.

In the meantime, another project I took on was to make something for Mother’s Day, as opposed to buying something.  So I decided to make something with nuts… something to nibble, to snack, to entertain your mouth in between serious food.  My mom is a serious snacker so I decided to indulge her with my Rosemary Almonds.

I personally prefer peeled almonds to those with skins, plus my mom is always shying away from hard to chew foods…  you know, the story that at her age (which she does not represent at all…) her spare parts do not come cheap.  So to please my mom, I soak the almonds to make them a tad softer and to be able to peel them too.

What you need to do is:

1. Soak the almonds in filtered water for about 2-3 hours.  The almonds will plump a bit and the skin will soften.

2.  With the help of your fingernails, clip the tippy tip of the almond and the skin will peel right off, just like peeling an orange with your fingers.

3.  Don’t soak them for too long or they’ll loose some of their oils and won’t roast well. 

4.  If you can’t peel them all in one sitting, drain all the water, let them dry and re-wet them when you’re ready to peel again.

This is how the almonds will look like after they’re peeled.  You’ll still be able to roast them on the stovetop or in the oven for that toasty almond taste, it’ll just take a little longer. 

After you do this, you really learn to appreciate why the cost of blanched, slivered almonds…  it’s a bit of a hassle, but I like them that way.

Enjoy your skinless almonds!!!

With the celebration of 5 de Mayo, I’ve been feeling like I should indulge in some Mexican food.

I bought a stack of white corn tortillas.  This stack is a testament of the size of typical Mexican families, because this will definitely last me for weeks, if not months.  This stack is huge!!!!  I have not counted them, but my guess is it has about 40-50 corn tortillas.  We need to start using them in multiples…

Inspired by a Simply Delicioso show I saw on the Food Network, I decided to create a stack of these tortillas, that when fried, they are magically transformed into Tostadas.

This is what I did…

CORN TOSTADA STACKS

2 white corn tortillas

1 potato, boiled

1 tbs cream cheese

½ onion, sliced

½ green bell pepper, sliced

1 garlic clove, grated

2-3 tbs Mexican salsa

2 lettuce leaves - I used romaine , washed well and sliced thinly

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tbs canola oil, to fry the tortillas

1 tbs sour cream, to garnish on top

1. In a small skillet, heat the oil at medium high heat.   When the oil is smoking hot, fry one tortilla at a time.  They’ll take about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the tortilla is slightly golden and crispy.  Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt as they come out of the skillet.
2. While you’re frying these tortillas, mash the boiled potato with the cream cheese and a bit of salt.  If you find the potato too stiff, add a tab bit of olive oil to soften.  Set aside.
3. After you’ve finished frying the tortillas, sauté the onions and peppers in the same skillet.  Why dirty another pot?  Add some salt and pepper to season and to soften.  Add the grated garlic clove to season.  When the onion/peppers are soft take them away from the heat and set aside.

Now we assemble…

4.  Place one tostada on the bottom of your plate.  Spread the mashed potato mixture, spoon some salsa, spoon the onions and peppers, sprinkle the shredded lettuce and top off with the tostada you have left.

5.  Spoon some extra salsa on top and garnish with some sour cream…  I did not have any on hand when I did this, so that’s why it’s missing from the picture.  But I know it will add something good and delicious to the mix.

I am sure you can continue adding layers of goodness to this… how about a layer of corn and bean salsa or some fresh tomatoes, or even some saucy stewed soy protein (so it looks like ground beef)…  the possibilities are endless.

¡Viva México Lindo y Querido!

The first Mojo I learned about was this - the Cuban Mojo you eat with yucca or with black beans and rice.  The now famous drink in the diminutive, Mojito, has been an acquired taste in the last few years…  This Cuban Mojo over Yucca is a staple at ANY and EVERY Cuban household, and something my family in Miami always makes for me, especially now that I am vegetarian.

Cuban Mojo is delicious - the best “sauce” to pour over anything.  To me, it’s just glorious.  It’s the only decent accompaniment to eat with boiled yucca.  Once you learn how to make it, I am sure it will find its way pairing a lot more than just yucca.  I am almost sure this mojo is the culprit of why I need to squirt lemon juice on arroz moro (black beans and rice).

Try it today… you’ll be a convert immediately!!!

YUCA CON MOJO CUBANO

1 yucca root, peeled and cut and middle thread removed or a few pieces of frozen yucca

½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

½ onion, sliced thinly

3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated

The juice of 1 lime or limón criollo

Salt to taste, for the boiling water and for the mojo

 

1. In a medium pot with water, add the yucca root pieces and salt and bring to a boil.  Salt the water as if you were boiling pasta.  Water should only barely cover the yucca.  I am lazy, so I buy sometimes the frozen yucca kind.  It works very well and it always turns out soft when boiled.  Yucca can have a tendency to turn out hard; it’s a crap-shoot.  
2. While the yucca boils away, in a small saucepan over low heat add the olive oil, the onion and the garlic.  Let the onions and garlic soften and simmer slowly in the oil.  Add salt to taste.  I tend to season well, about ½ tbs, but I have to be honest, I do not measure.
3. 
4. When the onions are softened, the garlic is cooked, but none have gotten any color, turn off the heat and add the juice of the lemon.  The oil will cloud a bit, but that’s the measure of a true mojo… lemony tangy goodness with the punch of the garlic and onion… YUMMM!!!
5. 
6. When the yucca is fork tender, drain and serve with spoonfuls of mojo over it.

This is the perfect side dish with any Cuban dish… I particularly like it with black beans and rice.   And that’s an upcoming lesson.

Has it ever happened to you…  that  when you wish on something hard enough, the answer to your request will come to you automatically.  I am a firm believer in that…

Well, the other day I was feeling so-so, because my fridge was full of little somethings.  To the OCD part of me, that just drives me crazy.  I like order in my universe and that includes a clean, organized fridge.  I had some hummus left, I had eggplants that would start to spoil soon, I had an opened jar of roasted peppers, among others…  so, I sat down to watch my afternoon fix of Food Network and here comes Rachael with this 30-minute recipe for Mediterranean Eggplant Steaks - a vegetarian recipe good enough for meat-eating company…  my kind of recipe!!!

I tried the recipe that same night I learned, in fact, that I missed the olives in the original recipe…  and it turned out great.  I shared it with my neighbors and they were impressed.  They asked me to make this at an upcoming neighborly get-together…  nice, huh?   And if the Israeli neighbor liked it… it must be good, if not authentic.

Try it tonight…

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT STACKS

1 medium eggplant, cut into 4 steaks lengthwise, about 1-inch thick
1 (10-ounce) box frozen spinach, defrosted
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, grated
1 cup of hummus, home-made or store-bought
1 cup whole-wheat or spelt bread crumbs
2 tbs fresh flat-leaf parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Defrost spinach.    Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high with about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive in it.  Add roasted peppers and garlic to skillet.
3. Squeeze the spinach dry and separate as you add it to the skillet. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and heat through.   Set aside.
4. Brush the eggplant steaks lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.  
5. In the same skillet you made the spinach and peppers, pan roast the eggplants 3 to 4 minutes for small eggplant, turning occasionally, until the steaks begin to become tender but are not fully cooked.
6. Place the eggplants on baking sheets. Top each steak with a few forkfuls of spinach mixture.
7. 
8. Spread a few rounded spoonfuls of hummus evenly across the steaks on top of the spinach, covering it completely in a thin layer.
9. Toss the bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and parsley. Divide the bread crumbs and scatter them over the steaks on top of the hummus.
10. Bake for about 5 minutes or so,  to brown bread crumbs.

A note about eggplants:

I learned once from Martha Stewart and a guest on her show, Eleonora Scarpeta, that you should always buy the lightest eggplants you can find.  They should be light for their size - kind of like the opposite you would think, no?  The reason being that the lighter the eggplant, the less seeds it has and therefore the less bitterness it will have.  This fact is particularly important in this recipe where we cut the eggplants and cook it straight.   

Tembleque is a Puerto Rican dessert, traditionally made mainly during Xmas time.   However, it can be enjoyed year round.  And it’s a special treat when you can taste it outside of Xmas… very unexpected.

The name “tembleque” comes from the verb “temblar” or “to tremble”.  The dessert is a jiggly/trembly custard made with coconut milk, sugar and set with cornstarch.  I added the word coconut in the name for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar to the tembleque dessert.  But, we do not add the word coconut in front; it would be “redundant”, because tembleques are only made with coconut milk… there are no other versions… yet. (This explanation is giving me ideas…)

We decided to make this because so many people in the Center who are avoiding wheat, spelt and dairy products so dessert options need to get more creative each time.  Plus, this would be a good accompaniment to other true Puerto Rican delicacies such as Arroz con Gandules and Alcapurrias.

It’s easy and super delicious…  check it out.

COCONUT TEMBLEQUE

Makes about 24 servings

12 cups of coconut milk

1 ½ cups of brown sugar

6 cinnamon sticks

1 ¼ cup cornstarch, diluted in some reserved coconut milk and ½ cup water

Ground cinnamon, to garnish

1. In a large pot, pour about 10 cups of coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the remaining coconut milk, the cornstarch and water.  Whisk together well and pour into the simmering coconut milk. 
3. Whisk in the whole coconut milk mixture until it thickens slightly.
4. While it still hot, CAREFULLY (because it can burn you - I speak from experience), divide in individual servings, about  1/3 - ½ cup each.  
5. Garnish with a sprinkle with ground cinnamon on top.
6. Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.  Serve cold.

It’s Spring, or as we say here in Puerto Rico… Summer’s here!!!!   The heat is blazing already, the humidity is rising and I am in the mood to bake cupcakes.

I learned this recipe from Mr. Alton Brown, one of my culinary teachers from the Food Network.  I love this cupcake recipe because I do not need a mixer.  It’s super easy to make and super reliable.  I always make them to raise funds for the Yoga Center… people can’t get enough of them.  They’re moist, chewy, and taste delicious.  I usually make them without the traditional cream cheese frosting because of all the dairy-free people at the center.  But I will make some with cream cheese frosting and share the recipe with you.

Also, these cupcakes are the 1^st recipe I am making for my “catering/baking” business.  I am looking to understand if my next serious career move should be something regarding my cooking and selling these cupcakes are a start…   The picture is from the dry run I did before I actually go out and sell these to people.  I know I still need to make them larger, so I am playing around with quantities… but for your personal enjoyment, the measures in the recipe work very well.

CARROT CUPCAKES

Adapted from an original recipe from Alton Brown

2 ½  cups, whole-wheat or spelt flour
About 5 medium carrots, grated medium
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½  tsp salt
1 ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 ½ tsp egg replacer mixed with 6 tbs of water
6 oz plain yogurt
6 oz vegetable oil

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to sift and combine.  Add the carrots to this flour mix and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.
3. In the bowl of the food processor or in a blender, combine the sugar, egg replacer, vegetable oil and yogurt.   Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined.   Add the raisins and walnuts and stir one last time to combine.
4. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and pour about ¼ cup batter measure per cupcake.   Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, take the cupcakes out of the pan and allow them to cool completely.

I am always on the lookout for simple delicious recipes.  And I am indeed a pasta lover.  Pasta dishes are usually simple, no?  I usually see the TV chefs creating their simple tomato sauces, which in my humble opinion are not that simple…  onions, garlic, celery , carrots.

I’ll be honest, I tried Giada DeLaurentiis recipe once, and I was not impressed by the flavor after the amount of chopping that went on.

I decided to take a stab at creating my very own simple version of tomato sauce.  I used something I am not very likely to have in my pantry, canned tomatoes.  I used a 28oz can of organic San Marzano tomatoes with the can lined with something white to prevent the tin metals to go into the acid tomato juice inside.  But I just have heard soooooo much about these San Marzano tomatoes I just had to give it a try.

I tried this sauce with a new kind of spaghetti I found at a specialty store - Kamut, a different type of grain, apparently available in Egypt since the time of the pharaohs.  I liked it a lot.  I read that Kamut is in the wheat family, very much like spelt, but better tolerated by people with wheat allergies.  I do not have those sensitivities usually, but there are times I want to experiment with other grains and give traditional wheat a rest.

Kamut Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce

28oz can of organic San Marzano tomatoes, whole

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

Basil - fresh preferably about 10-12 leaves, but I used dry - about 1 tbs - and worked great

Salt and Pepper to taste

¼ box of organic Kamut Spaghetti - I used DeCecco brand

1. In a large pot over medium heat, pour the olive oil and sauté the garlic slices and about 1 tsp of salt for about 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is taking some color.
2. When you open the tomato can, take kitchen shears and cut the tomatoes somewhat.  I have also seen Tyler Florence dumping them onto a bowl and smashing them with your own hands.  It sounds very appealing, but that’s another bowl to wash up.  When I have the kitchen staff Tyler has, I’ll do it his way.
3. Pour the tomatoes in the pot.   Add some more salt and pepper to taste.  Let the tomatoes simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Check the seasoning.  Add more salt or pepper if needed.  Add the basil - dry or fresh.  Let it wilt a bit for a few minutes.
5. With an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes into a pureed sauce.  The color of the sauce will change, from an intense red to an orangey color.  Don’t be discouraged by that.  The garlicky flavor rocks!!!
6. I just let it simmer about 5 minutes more and turn off the heat.
7. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water for the pasta.  Salt the water well before adding the pasta.  It takes about 12 minutes to cook al dente.

The sauce recipe makes way more sauce than for one serving of pasta… so I transferred most of the sauce to a container and transferred the cooked drained pasta to the pot with the remaining sauce.  Use the amount you deem necessary to dress your noodles.  

I dressed with a dollop of yogurt cheese instead of adding the traditional Parmesan cheese, given I am on a no-cheese-phase in my life right now… believe me, I did not miss the Parmesan and the tangy taste was a sure plus.

Buon Apetito!!!

I am trying to learn to live with a little less cheese in my life…   My personal trainer used to tell me that that little belly I complain soooooo much about has a name - QUESO!!!! 

Cheese usually has a lot of fat.  I don’t like to buy the low-fat kinds usually because they replace the fat with plenty of chemicals to emulate the mouth-feel.  So I rather eat the real full-fat kind and eat less of the chemicals in the process.  I do like the reduced fat cream cheese though…

But sometimes, too much of a good thing can be not-so-good for you.  There was a time in my life when my doctors eliminated all dairy from my diet.  It was absolute HELL!!!  At the time, I used to drink at least 2 huge mugs of milk with chocolate a day.  Ohhh, I also got caffeine eliminated from my diet too.  Caffeine I can understand better, but Milk, Cheese,  how?!?!?!?

Over the years,  I have learned to have soy milk or rice milk based cheeses.  They are actually very ,very nice.  There are some better brands than others…   I know.  But they tend to be expensive. And I have to take a special trip to the natural food store to get them… not usually available at my neighborhood grocery store.

Some years ago, I learned that for people who tend to be lactose intolerant, yogurt seems to agree with them and it’s a great way to get calcium in your diet.  Something to do with the live active cultures. 

So I decided to make yogurt cheese - all the benefits of yogurt, the consistency of cream cheese.  It’s economical, because I can make it with regular yogurt I can find at my regular grocery store.  And, there’s hardly anything to it…  Too many pluses to count.  Don’t you think? 

I try to use organic plain yogurt.  I always read the label to make sure it has no added gelatin.  Unfortunately, most commercial fruit-flavored yogurts (the Dannons and Yoplait yogurts of the world…) all have added gelatin.  I usually buy Stonyfield Farms or some other organic brand.

YOGURT CHEESE

6oz container of plain low-fat yogurt - I started small, but the next time I’ll make a whole pint

1 tsp kosher salt

1. In the same container the yogurt comes in, mix in the salt.
2. Empty the salted yogurt onto a fine mesh strainer lined with a cheese cloth or 2 coffee filters.  I used the unbleached kind.
3. Place a bowl under the strainer to catch all the liquid that will drain.  Cover the yogurt on the strainer with cling wrap or the cover of the bowl you placed underneath and place in the fridge for about 24 hours. 

The whey will drain off and the yogurt left will have the thick consistency of cream cheese.

Use the same way you would use cream cheese or even ricotta cheese - on crackers, toast, in a sauce, on top of pasta…