So, this past Monday night was the first Monday I really had a chance to cook since coming back from Japan. That meant it was my first Meatless Monday in a long time. After watching an episode of “Mexico: One Plate at a Time” with Rick Bayless that featured Chiles Rellenos I was inspired. Renowned chef from Mexico City, Ricardo Muñoz-Zurita, demonstrated his plantain stuffed ancho chile. I couldn’t find the recipe online, so I thought I’d improvise on that a bit.

First, I roasted some ripe plantains at 400 degrees for about a half hour. While they were roasting I blistered the skin on 4 poblano chiles directly on my stove top burners. I kept turning them so the entire surface was charred. Then I set them in a bowl and covered them with plastic to cool in their own steam for about a half hour.

I sautéed some onions and garlic in olive oil then added the roasted plantain (I diced them first). Once they plantains carmelized a little I added some chili powder, salt, pepper, and about a half cup of orange juice. I covered it and let everything soften for 7 minutes. Once the plantains were soft enough to mash I turned off the heat and kept them covered.

While they were covered and cooling I carefully peeled the skin off the poblanos and then cut a slit up along one side of each. Without tearing the chiles, I pulled out all of the seeds and the ribs along the inside. Once I was finished with that I stuffed them with the mashed plantains. I cooked them at 400 for another 12 minutes.

While they were in the oven I sautéed some green onions and one diced serrano chile, seeds removed. Then I added a drained can of black beans and dumped in a quarter cup of water. I brought that up to a boil, let the water evaporate, seasoned with salt and pepper, then turned off the heat.

To serve, I put one pepper on each plate next to an arugula salad with tomatoes. I covered the pepper with the black bean salsa and then topped everything with cilantro and crumbled ricotta salata cheese. White rice on the side of course.

I know! I love lasagna. Any kind of way to recreate it, you put the word lasagna in the name, and I’m there. Well, Sunny Anderson’s lasagna looked and sounded so good that I had to try it. I’ve had layered Mexican dishes before, but never normally with tortillas, not pasta. This was too creative to pass up. But without changing up the recipe, I’d be having one bite and giving the pan away to the neighbors. I love my friends, but I wanted to really enjoy this lasagna! Here’s my new recipe.

LATIN LASAGNA – Anthony J. Caruso

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture

¼  cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling

2 tablespoons light butter spread (Recommended: Smart Balance Light)

½  pound ground pork

½ extra lean ground beef (95% lean or greater)

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced

¾ cup finely grated Parmesan, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Salsa, recipe follows

15 whole wheat lasagna noodles, about 1 (16-ounce) package

1 cup reduced fat grated mozzarella cheese

1 ½  cups fat free grated mozzarella cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon oil and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, leaving slightly al dente. Drain and arrange noodles on a cookie sheet or large board.

In a medium bowl stir together ricotta, spinach, egg, cumin, salt and set aside. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter and saute ground pork and cayenne pepper until meat is brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove meat from the pan to a bowl and add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until tender, another 5 minutes. Add meat back to the pan, stir in ½ cup of the Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.

To assemble, layer bottom of 13 by 9-inch casserole dish with 1/3 of the salsa, then place a layer of noodles, overlapping to cover the entire bottom surface of the dish. Next add and evenly spread half the ricotta spinach mixture, half the pork mushroom mixture, and a layer of fat free mozzarella. Layer another 1/3 of the salsa, noodles, the remaining ricotta spinach mixture, and the remaining pork mushroom mixture. To finish add a final layer of noodles, top with the remaining salsa. Place the reduced fat mozzarella on top along with the remaining Parmesan. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and pepper, to taste. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F, uncover, and bake for 15 more minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

TOMATO SALSA:

1 poblano pepper, stem removed, seeded and roughly chopped

½ small red onion, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, stem removed, seeded and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and roughly chopped

2 limes, juiced

½ bunch cilantro, leaves only

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until almost smooth. Adjust seasoning, to taste. If desired, make up to 24 hours ahead of time and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Here’s the skinny :

I used fat free ricotta cheese. It’s mixed in and you’ll never know it’s fat free. If you won’t know the fat is missing, why add the fat? It’s like paying for fine china, but never using it.

Use egg substitute instead of regular eggs when all you need is a binder. Egg substitute is really mostly egg whites, which is what you need for the binder. All the fat and cholesterol in an egg is in the yolk, which you don’t need to hold anything together. It’s a little switch, but all the little things add up.

I cut down on the butter and used a butter spread. Butter spreads have come a long way. (Note – I did not say margarine.) They are full of heart healthy oils and an astronomical difference in fat content. You can have a whole stick of a butter spread and still not have the same amount of fat in 2 tablespoons of regular butter.

The recipe calls for one pound of ground pork, but I switched half of the pork out for extra lean ground beef. Ground pork can be fatty, but has a lot of flavor. In order to keep the flavor without adding a chin, we swapped out for ground beef. Extra lean ground beef is very low in fat, but adding some pork adds some extra flavor.

I used whole wheat lasagna noodles. There’s a huge misconception about pasta and carbs. There are two types of carbs. Whole grains are good carbs and your body needs carbs to function. By using whole wheat pasta, you can enjoy the lasagna without having to worry about “eating pasta”.

Lastly, I used a combination of fat free and reduced fat mozzarella. Fat free mozzarella doesn’t melt as well as reduced fat cheese. I put the fat free inside the lasagna where melting isn’t as big of an issue. It melts, but doesn’t look pretty. Reduced fat cheese melts wonderfully. So I put that on top where you get a beautiful cheese crust and you get the fat free goodness inside.

Enjoy!

In this the age of ever-increasing bills, and ever-shrinking income, I’m trying to cut down on going out for lunch. But on Mondays, it’s just really hard to do. It’s hard to do because Sweet Corn Cakes are often the Monday special at El Arepazo in Pearl Alley. Sweet corn cakes are similar to a really thick sweet corn pancake. These addictive cakes are topped with cheese and grilled until the cheese melts.

You can have your corn cake topped with your choice of meat – I love the chicken. It’s a very mild pollo en salsa which is just moist and full of savory goodness. The whole thing is topped with mojito, more cheese, romaine lettuce , banana peppers, and the decadent cilantro sauce.

Just a word about the cilantro sauce… Oh Wow – is all I can say. The cilantro sauce comes in mild or spicy. I’m a lightweight so I go with mild. I’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s pungent, creamy and maybe has garlic or onion in it. I don’t know exactly, but its amazing poured on everything on the menu. Even though I’ve written about El Arepazo before, you can be sure that you’ll read about them again. It’s addictive!

One of my favorite kinds of pizza is the bbq chicken from California Pizza Kitchen.  My roommates and I decided to make our own version of this classic flavor combo.  I just used store bought pizza dough, spread with BBQ sauce, sprinkle cheese, cooked chicken chunks, sauteed red onions, and fresh cilantro.  We baked it for 14 minutes at 425 and it was delicious!!! The crust was a bit flimsy, so I may consider pre-baking the crust next time.  We also should have used more chicken for the size of pizza that we made.  Eventually I would like to invest in a pizza stone for the oven because its just not quite the same when you bake the “pie” in a rectangular jelly roll pan.  Problems aside, with a plate and a fork it was just as good as the real thing.

My Recipe:

Ingredients

Pizza Dough (I used Pillsbury)

~3/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used Masterpiece HIckory Brown Sugar)

2 cups Shredded Cheese (mozzarella or an Italian blend)

2-3 Chicken Breasts

1 Red onion

Fresh cilantro to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425.  Spread out the pizza dough on your pan.  Spread your favorite BBQ sauce over the dough, use as much or as little as you want.  (I’d offer a suggested amount but I didn’t measure).  Slice the chicken into bite size chunks and cook in a skillet.  Cut Red Onion into strips or chunks and saute till slightly translucent. Chop up a large handful of fresh cilantro leaves.  Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce, then top with Chicken, red onions and cilantro.  Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes.  Slice into pieces and serve!

The crust didn’t toast up enough so we ate our slices on plates with silver wear.  Pre-baking the crust may resolve this problem but I’ve not tried it so please let me know if you do and it works.

Maybe it was the lack of sun or the obscene amount of rain or maybe it was the craving for some cilantro, but I had a craving for some Mexican food.

Dona Cata was recommended by a colleague of mine at work who happens to be Mexican. He told me it’s good for Mexican food in Vancouver, but it’s not going to be like you’d find in Mexico. So with that cautious endorsement, I made my way to Dona Cata. I ordered taco al pastor (marinated pork) and taco carnita (pulled pork) and of course some guacamole. As I was waiting, I was given a plate of tortilla chips and to my surprise there was a counter of about 7-8 salsas to choose from. I scooped on some green salsa which had a nice kick to it.

Tacos and guacamole at Dona Cata

When I got home and dug in, my colleague was correct. It was decent, but having tasted taco al pastor in Mexico, it just wasn’t the same. The meat was a little overcooked and dry, which essentially makes or breaks the success of any taco. So needless to say, it was a disappointing, since overcooked meat can be avoided. Visually speaking, it was authentic, the flour tortillas were soft and it was garnished with cilantro and lime. As for the guacamole, that was very good, it was creamy and no doubt homemade!

Tacos at Dona Cata

If you have a craving and can’t quite make it across the border, go check out Dona Cata.

Dona Cata Mexican Restaurant & Taqueria

5076 Victoria Drive
Vancouver BC V5P 3T8

Tuesday to Saturday – 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Sunday – 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Monday – Closed

Angie King is back this month with more healthy tips for cooking with your CSA food.  I included her bio again, just in case you missed her November post on healthy oils.  Enjoy.

The Gourmet Healer, aka: Angie King, MS, RD, LD, lives, works and plays in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. The focus of her private practice, Gourmet Healer, is to empower individuals and families to take part in their own healing process by using Food As Medicine together with lifestyle and other therapies.  Passionate about delicious food that serves the senses, the soul and the cells, Angie facilitates healing by teaching classes and workshops, producing a free monthly e-health letter, providing Integrative Nutrition Therapy to individuals and speaking to groups interested in changing their lives, starting with the foods they eat. Angie earned her Master of Science in Nutrition as well as the credentials of Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian from the University of New Mexico. She also works part time for the UNM School of Medicine Nephrology Division as an outpatient Pediatric Clinical Nutritionist.  She is the proud mom of a vibrant, 10 year-old daughter who keeps her on her toes and laughing.

December Tips: Healthy Spices

What if there were ways to prevent or treat illnesses like cancer, arthritis, asthma, heart disease or diabetes other than just the pharmacy?  What if in addition to optimal health, these solutions could bring you pleasure and were easy to use? Wish no more. This is reality.

The answer is in your spice rack and perhaps even in your own back yard or window sill.

Not sure how or where to start when it comes to cooking with herbs and spices?  Read on for a brief introduction to a few of my favorites and for tips on how to begin summoning your own inner Gourmet Healer.

Basil is a highly anti-inflammatory herb which is used in a wide variety of cuisines including Italian, Thai and Vietnamese.  It has cooling properties for those with excess heat, and gram for gram,  its anti-inflammatory properties surpass even those of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).  Think Ibuprofen.  Regular enjoyment of basil can be helpful in decreasing systemic inflammation as well as fighting minor aches and pains and even major arthritis. Have basil regularly in the form of pesto, which can be added to soups, sauces, pasta/rice salads, sandwiches, pizza and toast. Enjoy its whole leaves in green and caprese salads or as a topping for spicy soups!

Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice, which comes from the Curcuma root.  It has heating properties, energetically speaking, and it is used most commonly in Indian/Asian curries. Turmeric fights and prevents many diseases including Heart Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and numerous Cancers, including Childhood Leukemia and Breast Cancer.   Use it with black pepper and get anti-Alzheimer’s action. It has even been shown effective in correcting the genetically altered mechanism responsible for Cystic Fibrosis. Enjoy it often in curries and in the recipe below to get the benefits.

Cilantro is another cooling herb that is used in both Latin and Asian cuisine.  Like Basil, it is a great balancing agent in spicy dishes.   Cilantro has been found to be a powerful antibiotic agent, meaning that it kills bacteria, particularly Salmonella, a common foodborne illness. Going into a questionable food safety situation, say, when travelling?  Ask for extra Cilantro! For that matter, basil, hot peppers, horseradish and wasabi are helpful as well.

Cumin Seeds are loaded with flavor as well as healing properties. Use it to flavor up Latin and Tex-Mex dishes (cumin is what makes “taco seasoning” seem so miraculous), as well as Middle Eastern (think hummus) and Indian dishes.  Cumin has been shown to improve digestion by increasing production of digestive enzymes by the pancreas and has anti-cancer properties due to its high level of antioxidants.

Getting Started

Herbs and Spices are easy to use.  It just takes a willingness to learn and to try new things.  Dining out at ethnic spots and eateries with creative menus can give you a basic understanding of what herbs and spices typically go together.  Use community cooking classes, public television or The Food Network to further sharpen your skills. Worried about buying a bottle of a spice you are not sure you’ll use again?  Buy a small amount to try from the bulk spice section.  Problem solved!

Recipe For Success
Try this Gourmet Healer original recipe: Spiced Asparagus Fries.  It’s a delicious and EASY way to enjoy asparagus (rich in folate and B vitamins for heart health and emotional health)  as well as turmeric, cumin and coriander. I like to challenge those (kids included) who say they don’t like asparagus with this one, and I always win!

Until next time, enjoy your food and enjoy your life!

Blessings and Good Health,

The Gourmet Healer
Angie King, MS, RD, LD
gourmethealer@gmail.com
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

References

1. www.whfoods.org
2. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998 May;64(4):353-6.

[Printable Recipe]

This is a super easy salad that comes together really quickly. I had it with some grilled chicken, but the bold flavors would complement fish or steak well too. It’s got some bite from the radish, but the cilantro and rice wine vinegar it out nicely.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch radishes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients and adjust ingredients to taste. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

A simple pleasure: Veggie grilled cheese sandwich

Winter is here! The best lunch option for wintry days is grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of chunky hot soup. I have learned this simple yet special art of cooking grill cheese sandwich from my hubby. You can add any vegetable you like or make it just adding cheese. I’ll be posting yummy soup recipes soon.

Ingredients:

To make 4 sandwiches

Bread slices [White or brown] – 8
Butter- 2 tbsp
Cheese slices – 8 [Kraft singles American cheese]
Tomatoes – 1 [finely chopped]
Sweet onions – ½ [finely chopped]
Avocados – 1 [sliced]
Cilantro – ½ cup leaves
Freshly crushed black pepper – 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Preheat skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Butter both sides of each bread slice and grill on one side until brown.
• Now flip the bread slices and take the skillet off the heat. Arrange one slice cheese, tomatoes, onions, avocadoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Finally add one more cheese slice and the other bread slice [grilled side down].
• Carefully place the skillet on the heat again and press the sandwich down with heavy pan or any other griddle.
• Let it grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Grill until lightly browned and flip over; continue grilling until cheese is melted.
• Take the sandwich off the heat and place on the cutting board for 2 minutes. Then cut diagonally and enjoy.

Serving suggestions:

Grilled cheese sandwich can be served warm with any soup of your choice.

Today I had a craving for one of my old favorites, shrimp ceviche.  This is a dish that is traditionally made with raw shrimp, which are cooked in the acidity of the citrus juices.  I’ve done it this way in the past, and it’s great.  You can actually see the shrimp cooking through the color change they undergo.  If the idea of cooking shrimp via chemical reaction (without heat) bothers you, you can always boil the little buggers for 60 seconds before adding them.  I wouldn’t do any longer though, or you’ll end up with overcooked shrimp after adding them, since they’ll continue to cook in the citric acid. In any event, I keep a bag of frozen, cooked 100-150/# shrimp in my freezer for just this kind of thing, and try to keep a bag of Nonni’s Panetini from Costco in my pantry.  I once had an open bag for over a year that was still crispy and delicious, so it’s something good to have around, even if the bag looks too big for your immediate use.

Today’s recipe went something like this:

• 1/8 c lemon juice
• 1/8 c lime juice
• 1/8 c olive oil
• 1/4 c white vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• A few spashes of Cholula hot sauce
• 1 large cucumber, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1/2 white onion, cut into 1/4″ pieces
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 6 smallish tomatillos, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 3 smallish tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• about 30 shrimp, cut into 1/2″ pieces

All measurements are approximate, as I didn’t measure a thing.  I also bought some kind of peppers that were green, thin, kind of dry when chopped, and that the guy scanned as green beans.  They have a fair amount of kick; if I did it again I might only add 3 or 4 of them.  Recipes I’ve found call for serrano peppers, but I’ve never seen them in the store when I need them, so I just go with whatever looks interesting.

Another note: some recipes call for red onions instead of white.  I can’t remember if I’ve ever tried that one out before.

Finally, I would have added an avocado cut into small chunks if the ones I had bought were ripe.

Mix all this up in a large storage container, snap the lid on, and put in the fridge.  It’s good immediately, great after an hour or 3, and incredible after a night in the fridge.  This makes quite a bit, so I’m planning on having it for lunch for the week as well as a snack here and there.  It’s *gotta* be good for you in some regard, with it consisting of something like 90% fresh veggies.

I have been looking for a good shredded beef recipe for some time and my slow cooker is my favorite tool right now so this recipe was right up my alley. Fast and easy and ready when I get home. This was such a good recipe and I just added a little more flavor and heat with jalapeno and my favorite mexican cheese – Cotija. Cotija is a very salty flavored crumbly cheese. You have probably eaten it many times if you eat at mexican food restaurants it’s the white cheese crumbled on top of your beans. I put it on salads too, it’s so good – my daughter likes it as well.

Adapted from Real Simple recipe for Cuban Braised Beef and Peppers

1 -  1 ½ lb flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, ½ inch thick slices
1 onion (cut into 1/8)
2T. chopped cilantro
2t. oregano
1t. cumin
1t. cayenne
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno (or 1/4 of a small can of jalepeno)
1avocado
Cilantro (for garnish)
Cotija (for garnish)
Tortillas or Rice

COMBINE tomatoes, oregano, cumin, jalapeno, salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Add onions and peppers and stir. Push flank steaks into the vegetables. Cook on low for 8 hours.

PLACE atop rice or on tortillas. Top with cilantro, avocado slices, and cotija cheese.

For something warm and creamy on a very cold day – White Chicken Chili sure hits the spot.  This recipe is not for the faint of heart.  But a ‘little’ butter never hurts!  I make this recipe in a cast iron dutch oven, and the sight of it bubbling away on the stove always brings a smile to the hub.  It was his idea to serve it with some home-made tortilla chips (to come in a later post!) and my idea to sprinkle on some cilantro.  Both additions, though optional, definitely add something special to this chili.

White Chicken Chili                               15 min prep, 30 min cook          

1 (15oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

6 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

1 ¾ cup chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half

Couple shakes Tabasco sauce

3 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

2 (4oz) cans green chilies, drained

1 (12oz) can corn niblets, drained

2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced

2 cups shredded Monterey jack/Colby cheese

½ cup sour cream + more to garnish

Fresh cilantro to garnish

Homemade tortilla chips to garnish

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, sauté onion and garlic in butter until softened (about 4 minutes).  Add flour and whisk for 3 minutes over medium heat.  Carefully whisk in half and half, whisking constantly, and bring to a simmer.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken stock, Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Add in beans, chilies, corn, chicken and cheese.  Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.  Serve in bowls garnished with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and add tortilla chips.

Serves 6-8

Jessica made guacamole the other day, and I haven’t been able to think about much else since them (well, except for making cookie dough truffles, but that’s being saved for another day).  Seriously, everything she makes looks good, doesn’t it?

I bought some guacamole, the premade kind.  It kind of sucked.  It just didn’t do it for me or Solomon, and I was determined to fix this situation and have good guac.  Imagine my surprise when avocados were on sale and priced decently, rather than the cost of a year of college a piece!  I decided 2 should be enough (duh, it wasn’t), did a quick mental inventory of the contents of my fridge, picked up cilantro and headed home to make guacamole.

Unfortunately, once I cam home, I realized the tomato I had was a little yucky.  Bummer, because I really love tomato in my guacamole, but can’t win them all.  I decided to just go ahead and make guac without tomato, because like I said, I was fully determined to have guacamole!  First, I cut each avocado in half and removed the pit.  I like to cut into the flesh and turn the avocadoes in on themselves to release all of the meat inside.  I totally got this idea from Bobby Flay.  I love him!

I throw this into my bowl first, and mash it all up.  If I am making a big batch of guac, I’ll use a potato masher.  I wasn’t this time.

I threw in a little bit of chopped red onion next.  I love red onion in my guacamole because of it’s flavor, and I like the nice bit of color it adds, as opposed to white onions.  Foods should be colorful!

A few sprigs of cilantro went in next.  I know some people can’t stand cilantro because it tastes like soap to them.  I feel so fortunate not to be one of those people, because I adore the taste!

Like I said, I normally like tomatoes in my guacamole, and much more texture, but hey, can’t win them all, right?  Now was time to flavor it!  First came salt and pepper.  I decided instead of regular salt, to use one of my fun artisinal salts from Savannah!

You can’t tell, but this salt has an orange color to it!  It’s suggested uses are on fruits, raw vegetables and salads, so I figured why the heck not?

Next came my guacamole secret weapon (when I don’t feel like chopping up jalapenos!)

A little garlic powder, lime juice, some chili powder and of course, cumin!  I always like to let guacamole sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving it, just to let the flavors come together.

Not my favorite batch ever, but it did the trick!

While this was going on, Solomon decided to have some fun with our label maker, at poor Rufio’s expense.

It says Rufio.  Of course.

While this was being done, I made myself a green monster because I knew I couldn’t wait until dinner!  Joel at YouBar sent me a whole bunch of fun products to sample.  YouBar is a company that allows you to customize bars, shakes, trail mix, cookies and chocolate! It’s such a great idea because you can make your creation in any flavor you can imagine, you can control the nutritional content, and make sure there isn’t anything in there you don’t want!

Even though it was the afternoon, I decided to give the Breakfast Shake a try.

It contains whey protein, egg white powder, organic cane juice, cocoa powder and organic bananas. It has 100 calories, 1 gram of fat and 15 grams of protein. Not bad for an afternoon snack!  I threw in some spinach, almond milk and a little almond butter for the perfect afternoon snack!

I love the idea of customizing ANYTHING, and think this makes for the perfect gift!  I especially love that you can create cookies and customize them to your specific nutritional needs and wants.

If you want to try anything from YouBar, they have provided a coupon code to Live, Love, Eat and Play readers for 5% off.  Just enter  liveloveeat&play at checkout and start customizing!

Oh yeah, and the guacamole?  I’m basically an animal for any kind of dip known to man.  Bad idea!  Despite the shake, I did save room for dinner, and I’ll be posting that tomorrow!

Remember my Wusthof giveaway!  You have 5 ways to enter!

Random question…what are your New Year’s Eve plans?

I recently created a delicious recipe for The Foodie Blog Roll and the National Mango Board for their fabulous ‘Leftover Recipe Challenge’, which incorporates some of my favorite ingredients avocado, cilantro, basil and agave nectar and leftover fresh mango’s and Roma tomatoes in my pantry.

Ingredients

• 2 large fresh mango’s, diced
• 1 ripened avocado, peeled, cored and diced
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium cucumber,diced
• 1 medium Roma tomato, diced
• 4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
• Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.
• Serve alongside whole grain chips, pitas or crudites.

In The News…

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Impending cilantro disaster at El Farolito.

Somebody should do something. Like you, chick in front of the line over-pronouncing her order en Espanol. Give it a rest, would ya?  You don’t get a discount for successfully utilizing the vosotros tense.

Cilantro Shrimp
Healthy Christmas Recipe

These shrimp are also delicious served on a bed of lettuce with orange sections and avocado wedges for a sit-down first course.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 pounds cooked and shelled shrimp

Directions:
Combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic and jalapeno in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.

Pour over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate up to two days ahead.

Recipe makes about 12 hors d’oeuvres servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 100
Protein: 12g
Carbohydrate: 1g
Fiber: 0
Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 110mg
Sodium: 127mg

I made this this morning, and as you can tell by the time it is not the morning. My dad taught me how to make something to pair with your meat if you just cooked it and you didn’t season it, this is a good flavour add. It’s salty because of the fish sauce but it cleans your palate for the meat with the cilantro in it. I have no clue what it’s called, but I’ll call it Spanish Salad. It’s because my dad’s mom taught him how to cook this and she was part spanish. I’d call it granny salad but that does not sound good.

1 tomato

Fish sauce

Cilantro

1 Onion

Cut the tomato into quarter pieces, then dice those into quarters. Chop up the onions into little pieces. Put it into a bowl with the cilantro and mix it up until it’s fully dressed with the fish sauce. This salad put ontop and eaten as you eat pork, beef , fish and fried chicken makes anything bland quite good.

By the way, I’ve gotten feedback from my silly friends who think it’s kinda hilarious I’ve taken to food writing after all my critical writing in school. Apparently I should step my game up by applying some intrinsic thing to my blog.

The other night I was lying on my bed, having an emotional breakdown like a five year old you took a lollipop from. (No, joking. I wasn’t bawling my eyes out, but I was terribly anti social and lay there in silence for a good two hours.) I had all these thoughts like: “FUCK, what am I doing at home? I have a million projects to do, I gotta produce, I gotta get better, I gotta keep my game up, I have to be good at art, be good at art, i’m terrible at art, i’m terrible at art, there’s so many cool artists out there who don’t even try, why do i have to try, i’m terrible, terrible, terrible, art is like beauty, god only gives it to a few, and i’ll always be the awkward obese kid who thinks she’s lady gaga in the back of the class reading nietzsche” Don’t ask me why I suddenly get these spurts of negativity… maybe coz I act like a retard and am genuinely clueless for all my waking life at Emily Carr. (Ahmad tells me not to apologize for anything and strictly show my work with my lips zipped)

Anyway, in the midst of this…I was thinking: “fuck, i need to work on so much shit, i can’t do this damn recipe thing, i have no time to COOK right now…what the fuck”. I rolled off my bed and stared at my sketchbook and tried to draw something for class, but rolled my eyes and went to take a walk. I went to the library as I mentioned before hand and picked up some books to distract myself and found the cook books. I looked at the Berry Fool recipe and decided it was easy and cheap enough to make so I went and bought the fruit. When I made it, all the thoughts of being an uncreative and unskilled university drone just seemed to disappear and it made me happy to see my parents down my food, even though it was frozen fruit and processed whip cream. (Mind you, I used to live in the house of organic where everyone was mindful of what they ate)

It’s kinda Sitji’s theory on the lady in “Cooking with Dog” on Youtube. She was probably some housewife having some midlife crisis because she seems so miserable in the beginning of the season but you can progressively see her mood change and her energy level go up as the episodes go on. People just need some sort of distraction. I can’t run from my problems but I can certainly give myself a break.

There, fuckers! Cooking as therapy! Write an artsy theory on that shit, do it up real good, emily carr kids!!!

The barometer took a dive this week in New York City from last week’s highs in the 50s to the 30s and 40s. During these chilly times, my toes are the most vexing extremities to thaw. Fingers I can manage by sitting on them or tucking into my armpits, but the toes have no place to go.

When faced with such a frigid crisis, there’s only one thing for me to do and that is to drag out my cauldron and stir up a pot of spicy Mexican Tortilla Bean Soup. A bowl of this steaming fiesta of lime, chili, cheese, in a rich tomato broth will toast my toes up in no time.

The original recipe was inspired by Rick Bayless’, Mexican Everyday, but over the years, I’ve tweaked and toiled until it’s taken on a life of its own.

First, start by making the Sofrito, a sauce made of onions, garlic, cilantro and racao, an essential herb used in Mexican sofritos (also known as saw leaf herb, or in Vietnamese, ngo gai). If you don’t have saw leaf herb, cilantro stems will do fine as a substitute.

Sofrito, depending on the region where its made, varies in the types of ingredients , but usually consists of an aromatic such as onions and/or garlic, tomatoes, herbs (cilantro, saw leaf) and spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder or peppers). It is versatile in use and can be the base for rice, meat, fish, or vegetable dishes, and is found in cuisines all over the world including but not limited to Latin American, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, and Caribbean cuisine.

The cilantro and racao in this recipe bring an earthy quality to the sofrito. There’s a slight kick from the peppers (chile de arbol and chipotle), bright citrus flavor from the limes, and butteriness from the cheese and beans which round out the flavors.

This soup is the best thing to savour on a cold, dreary, rainy New England day.

Mexican Tortilla Bean Soup

(Makes 8-10 servings)

Ingredients

1 (32 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes

1 (32 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

3 ears of fresh Corn, kernels cut (or 1 bag of frozen sweet corn)

1 can Black Beans

1 can Pinto Beans (or any other favorite bean)

1 bunch Racao (rough chop 1/2, reserve the other half for the sofrito)

1 bunch Cilantro, stems separated from the leaves, rough chop the leaves

1 large White Onion (dice 1/2 and the quarter the other half)

2 garlic cloves, peeled (mince 1 and leave 1 whole)

2 limes, juiced

1 dried Arbol Chile

1 Bay Leaf

2-3 Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce (we use La Morena)

3 quarts Chicken Stock

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Monterrey Jack Cheese (1 block shredded)

Tortilla Chips

1. In an 8 quart stock pan, heat the chicken stock to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, and add Bay Leaf.

2. To make the Sofrito: In a food processor, combine the quartered onions, whole garlic clove, 1/2 bunch of racao, cilantro stems, lime juice, chipotle peppers, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is pulpy. Add to chicken stock.

3. Over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the arbol chile and 1/2 of the onions and sautee for 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and minced garlic, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the sauteed onion mixture to the stock. Add the tomatoes and beans and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat to a rolling boil, then lower heat to simmer. Add the corn. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.

5. Add the chopped cilantro and racao. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. To serve, ladle soup bowl, add cheese and tortilla chips.

The recipe makes 8-10 servings; perfect to pack for lunch for the whole week!

Bon Appetit!