Coconut Ginger Snaps

It is Aloha Friday on 11/11/11 and that is reason enough to whip up a batch of seasonal cookies to share with family or friends. These treats are so easy to make that you can even get your kiddos involved in the fun and the warmth and aroma it creates in your home will make you want to bake every night of this holiday season. I promise it is much more satisfying than a holiday glade candle because your nose and taste buds get a nice treat that everyone will appreciate!

Gluten-Free Organic Ingredients
makes about 20 cookies

• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup sucanet (evaporated cane juice)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tbs Molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (make sure to get a gluten and corn syrup free brand)
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons  ground cinammon 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 TBS sucanet

- Pre-heat oven to 375 and place 1 oven rack on the lower middle position and one on the upper middle position.
- On a baking sheet with parchment paper spread the coconut flakes evenly and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until toasted.
- In a bowl, add the coconut flakes and 2 Tbs. honey or sucanet and mix together.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sucanet, egg, molasses, vanilla, and coconut extract with an electric mixer or by hand.
- Add the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients and beat until blended.
- Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, dip in coconut flakes, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper spaced 2 inches apart.
- Slightly flaten each cookie by pressing with a spoon or thumb.
- Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking time.
- If you have allergies to tree nuts just make without the coconut ingredients.

Now enjoy these scrumptious tasty treats!

Happy Healthy Halloween!

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many of us because it is filled with fun activities and good times with family and friends. With lots of pumpkins, costumes, scares, and sweets, it is hard not to have a great time. I enjoy all these things about Halloween but I especially enjoy the pumpkin carving and pumpkin seed roasting. This year my hubby and I went with the island theme, to match our new surroundings, and the end product was very satisfying!

Check them out =) Cute huh?

Next time you carve your pumpkin, don't forget to save the seeds and enjoy the most nutritious treat of Halloween. It is so quick and easy to make, just follow these simple steps:

Gluten-Free Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
- Scoop out all the seeds from the pumpkin and separate from the stringy flesh.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
- Spread seeds evenly on a large flat pan covered with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika.
- Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Turn and mix the seeds after fifteen minutes to ensure even roasting on each side.

You will absolutely enjoy these crunchy tasty treats!

 - Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, omega 3 healthy fats, and fiber.

- They are rich in magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc.

- They also aid in clearing the digestive tract of harmful bacteria and pathogens and can soothe nausea and digestive discomfort.

For those of us with celiac disease and gluten-intolerance, Halloween candy is just not a safe option to enjoy without risking exposure to gluten followed by another painful bathroom ordeal. Last year I ate candy that claimed to be gluten-free but my gut reaction told a different story. So stay safe this year and splurge on these tasty homemade Halloween treats anyone would love!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Use organic ingredients and hormone-free butter and eggs.

• 3 cups GF oats (Bob's Red Mill is a good brand)
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice (aka: sucanet, an unrefined sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 sticks melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup raw honey (choose locally made)
• 1 TBS Molasses
• 2 teaspoons GF and corn syrup free vanilla extract
• 1 package chocolate chip cookies (Enjoy Life Brand is gluten, soy, nut, and dairy free)

 Optional additions and variations if you do not have any nut allergies:

- 1 cup pure peanut butter, preferably organic, or
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Bake the cookies for about 15-20 minutes.

To make sure they do not fall apart when eating you can refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Happy Halloween!



Check out our costumes, this year Angel went for hysterical and I went for crafty.

Hint: Look at the Do

Can you guess who Angel is this year?

Rocky Balboa presents: Clubber Lang! "I pity the fool"

I made my Sea Turtle Costume from cardboard and fabric scraps. 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Favorite: GF Mac N Cheese

Whenever you feel the need to create a meal that will satisfy everyone's growling stomach and ease exhaustion, then try this simple and traditional favorite of kids and adults alike. This recipe is perfect for the very hungry, the very big appetite, or the need for a comforting meal after a long day, week, chilly weather, or anything that necessitates a relaxing night with good people and good food.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees

Organic Ingredients

• 1 package Tinkyada GF Brown Rice elbow pasta (cooked in salted water)
• 3 cups unsweetened Almond Milk (my favorite brand: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, original flavor
• 3 Tbs brown rice flour
• 1 Tbs tapioca flour
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 cup (8 ounces) grated monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack for a spicy kick
• 1 cup (8 ounces) grated mild cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional, adds a nice spicy kick)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional, adds a nice spicy kick)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• kosher or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Choose dairy products that are organic or from free-range, grass-fed cows, with no hormones and antibiotics.

Prepare Toppings 

• Chop up and cook 1 package (8 ounces) bacon: Applegate Sunday Bacon Uncured is gluten and casein free, with no preservatives, nitrates, nitrites and from animals that are vegetarian fed.
• GF bread crumbs: 2 slices of Udi's gf whole grain brown rice bread chopped in a food processor or with hands.
• Chop broccoli.

- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup almond milk with rice flour and tapioca flour.

- On the stove-top over medium to medium high heat, in a large cast iron skillet or saucepan, add the rest of the milk with milk flour mixture and whisk constantly while cooking until mixture thickens.

- Add the butter, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and whisk together. 

- Turn the heat down to low and add the grated cheese and mix until completely melted.

- Remove the pan from heat, add the cooked hot pasta, and mix thoroughly.

- Transfer to a baking dish or leave in the skillet (if using a cast iron skillet).

- Top with brocceli

- Bake for 15 minutes, then top with the bread crumbs and pre-cooked bacon bits. 

- Bake 15 more minutes and serve hot. 

Perfect for a cozy night in with the family, friends, your lover, or the little kiddos. Put a movie on, put your feet up, and enjoy your full warm belly. It's time to relax. =)

Happy Friday!

Anytime is the perfect time for a Pancake Party!

It is the perfect time of the year to make and enjoy some delicious and nutritious pancakes with your family, kids, or friends. So get together and spend some fun quality time whipping up something that everyone loves. They are so easy to make that anyone can do it, even the kiddos and all you bashful cooks. Forget those pre-made boxed pancake mixers, they have no taste and no nutritional value. Now is the time to start making your favorite foods from scratch, it is so much easier than you think and well worth it in the end. Here are some of my favorite pancakes you can try:

• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Banana Pancakes
• Buttermilk Pancakes

GF Pancake Recipe
Choose your flavor: Puree cooked sweet potato or pumpkin, mash very ripe bananas, or make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup choice of nut or dairy milk with 1 TBS. lemon juice or vinegar and let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
- 1 cup pancake flavor filling (pick one from above)
- 2 cups brown rice flour or millet flour
- 2 Tbs. fresh ground flaxseed 
- 2 cups milk: use organic milk, or any nut milk, buttermilk pancakes need 2 Tbs. acid with the 2 cups milk of choice and do not need 1st ingredient on this list.
- 2 beaten eggs (choose organic or hormone-free and cage-free eggs, if you have an egg allergy just substitute with 2 more Tbs. of fresh ground flaxseed)
- 2 Tbs. melted unsalted organic or hormone free butter (vegans can substitute with coconut oil)
- 2 Tbs. grade B maple syrup (optional)
- 2 teas. vanilla extract  (choose gluten-free and corn-syrup free)
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 2 teas. cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teas. salt

In a large bowl, mix together the flavor filling of choice with eggs, milk, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the flour, fresh ground flaxseed, salt, cinnamon and mix until well incorporated, add the lemon juice at the end for lighter pancakes and cook in a oiled/buttered and heated skillet.

Top with 100% Grade B Maple Syrup or freshly made fruit syrup.
*Never use Grade A Maple Syrup, it contains harmful ingredients like formaldehyde.

GF Fresh Fruit Syrup
Choose from lilikoi, blueberry, cranberry, or berry of choice.
- 1 cup water or juice (blueberry, cranberry, or pomegranate).
- 1 cup berries (fresh or frozen).
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice.
- 1/2 cup sucanet or coconut sugar.
- 1 Tbs. tapioca flour.
In a saucepan,  mix the water/juice, berries, sweetener, and tapioca flour, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until mixture reduces. Remove from pan and let cool and firm up.

I do not have to tell you to enjoy this one! Today is Aloha Friday and I made some banana pancakes for me and my happy hubby from some freshly ripened bananas I picked up from the farmers market yesterday. I can't wait to try the sweet potato pancakes next!

Onolicious!

*Ono means delicious in Hawaiian. ;-)

This one is the buttermilk pancake with lilikoi syrup.

Fabulous Fresh Fish Dinner

Yesterday, Angel made his second attempt to catch us a fresh fish for dinner. On his first attempt he got caught on the rocks and fought for hours to get his hook free, twice, but luckily he is a very patient fisherman, which I am so proud of. =)

So this time we headed to a pier, so the rocks would not be an issue, and waited patiently after he cast out his first line. After some time, he reeled in the line after feeling a tug and saw that something had stealthily snatched up the bait without getting hooked. So he tried again and it was not much longer that he got his first catch! He started reeling it in and when the fish finally emerged, we saw how huge it was, and then we realized it wasn't a fish at all, it was a baby Hammerhead Shark!

Angel lifted the Shark up and we saw that it was bleeding pretty good, so he wanted to get the hook out and release it quickly so it wouldn't die. Realizing he did not have any pliers to pull out the hook safely, and with no experience handling sharks, Angel asked a nearby fisherman for help. The guy quickly and with no hesitation pulled out the hook with his bare hands and threw him back in the ocean. Whew, what an adrenaline rush! I certainly have never seen or been that close to a Shark!

Unfortunately, I failed to catch a picture of the shark, but with the use of a AA battery-operated camera with storage of only 11 pictures, I sadly missed the opportunity because the batteries were not in and I could not delete a picture fast enough to make room for just one more. Angel attempted a few more times for another catch and made friends with the other fisherman who helped save the day. He gave Angel some tips and pointers on where to go and what kind of bait to use for his next try.

Instead of fresh fish caught by my husband, I made dinner with a fresh catch we picked up from the local market. So, if you get in the mood for a healthy, light, and satisfying fish meal, give this simple  recipe a try.

Grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of Brown Rice and Fresh Greens

- Cook desired amount of brown rice in rice cooker or pot.
- Choose a white fish, fresh or frozen, and wild caught (avoid farm raised fish).
- Marinate the fish in: olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and chili powder. 
- Prepare Fresh Green Salad: I used fresh green leaf lettuce, cilantro, purple onion, carrots, and avocado.
- Top with your favorite fresh salsa or freshly made lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.
Tip: Soak all fresh produce in a mild solution of apple cider vinegar for 15 minutes to remove bacteria and parasites.Use 1 T. vinegar per gallon of water or 1/4 C. per sinkful.
- Cook fish on a grill pan or outdoor grill until white and cooked through.

Hope you enjoy this nutrient dense, delicious, and satisfying meal...we certainly did!

Eat Live Love Local

The great thing about our new community is there is an abundance of local farmers who get together at our neighborhood park and sell fresh produce every week. I stopped by yesterday to see what yummy goods I could find for our next meal and for my husband's sweet tooth and I happily came across a variety of local produce. I picked out some fresh kale for dinner, Okinawan sweet potatoes for a future pie just waiting to be made,  green onions for our weekend egg skillet, and the biggest sweetest smelling lemons I have ever seen! Growing up. my siblings and I had some awesome lemon trees in our yard that we used to make fresh lemonade, now I am going to use these lemons to make one of my husbands favorite treats: Lemon Meringue Pie.

If you get a craving for something delicious and nutritious, find your closest farmers market and go explore the goods, pick out the freshest produce you can find, and whip up a meal or tasty treat. Trust me, you can see, smell, and taste the difference. Not only does fresh local produce taste better, it contains far more nutrients (because it is allowed to ripen on the tree), and it boosts your immune system allowing for optimal health and wellness.

If you are interested in trying my gluten-free lemon meringue pie recipe, find some fresh lemons, fresh local eggs, and hormone-free butter and milk. These ingredients make up a big part of the pie. Luckily, lemons grow in many places and you can find local, hormone free milk and eggs even in the supermarket.  The key to a delicious and nutritious wholesome pie is the fresh foods and whole, unrefined ingredients.

Local Lemon Meringue Pie

GF Crust
This recipe should make enough for 2 pie crusts, you can refrigerate one for another time or double the filling recipe and make 2 pies. 
Pre-heat oven to 325

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup Wholesome Sweeteners sucanet (aka: unrefined evaporated cane juice)
• 1/2 teas. sea salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (use organic or hormone-free)

- Grease a glass pie pan with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine and mix thoroughly all the dry ingredients.
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and knead into dry ingredients until well incorporated into a smooth dough.
- With your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan and up the sides.
- Bake the dough on the bottom rack for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. 
- Cool the dough as you make the filling and leave the oven on to bake the filling.

GF Pie Filling

• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners powdered sugar *gluten-free and unrefined
•  3 Tbs. tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup almond  milk (or local hormone-free milk)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 Tbs. butter

- On the stove top, in a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, tapioca flour, lemon zest, almond milk, and lemon juice.
- Bring to boil over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens into a gel like mixture.
- Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until smooth and then add the eggs into the saucepan with lemon gel mixture.
- Cook over medium heat, add the butter, and stir constantly until fully combined.
- Remove from heat and cover while making the meringue topping. 
*I use Wholesome Sweeteners brand for many of my baking ingredients because of their gluten-free and unrefined products. Be careful of conventional powdered sugar because it is not always gluten-free due to the addition of refined wheat flour.

GF Meringue Topping

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup Wholesome sweeteners powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

- Beat the egg whites and cream of tarter until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar and vanilla extract and keep beating until the filling is light and fluffy.

*When I didn't have an electric mixer, I just used some good ol' arm strength to get the meringue to form. It took quite some time, sweat, and endurance but if you have the willpower then go for it. If you already have an electric mixer it will take you way less time and leave you without the sore arms.


Finally
- I realized there are many steps to this, but it is well worth it!
- Add the lemon mixture to the pie then add the merengue on top
- Bake for 20 minutues until the merengue is a beautiful light golden brown color.
- Cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

After all that LOVE you just put into making this, you and the lucky people you decide to share with will taste it in every bite!

Today is Aloha Friday, and our awesome little town gathers together for a fun festival where locals sell beautiful art, play live music, and eat. I can't wait to share my pie tonight!







.

Summer Living Smoothie Style!

If you have read all my blogs for the month of June then by now you should know a few things about me:

1. I love summer
   
2. I love to cook AND eat (especially Mexican food)
   
3. I love to be physically active (aka play) outside
   
4. and last but not least,

did I mention that I LOVE Summer!

One of the many reasons I enjoy summer is because of the abundance and variety of fresh, ripe, sweet, and juicy fruits that are just waiting for me to eat them. You should enjoy them as much as possible too because they pack a good nutritional punch in every bite with all the vitamins, minerals, and disease fighting antioxidants they contain. Don't forget to eat from every color group because each color provides different health benefits.

These are my absolute favorite smoothie concoctions that I enjoy eating almost every day during the warm months for lunch or as a pre workout energy meal. They are always affordable to make when produce is in season and I can take them with me to work or any place I need to go and they also take very little time and energy to prepare. So blend up one of my favorite mixtures or come up with your own by including your favorite fruits of the season.

Tropical Tahitian Blend

• Half of 1 fresh pineapple


• 10-12 ounce bag of frozen mango


• 6 ounces of frozen or fresh blackberries (berries are optional but add a nice great touch)


• 3-4 cups of unsweetened Almond milk

Tropical Thailand Blend

• 10-12 ounce bag of frozen mango


• 4 fresh peaches


• 3 -4 cups of unsweetened Almond milk

Berry Bonanza Blend

• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries


• 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries


• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries


• 3-4 cups unsweetened Almond milk

Add fruit to blender and blend until smoothie style.
These amounts make enough for 2 to 4 people at a time so you can adjust accordingly for individual servings.
The key to a great smoothie is choosing one frozen fruit to create a better blend.
Pick your frozen fruit of choice for any of these blends.
Many times it is more affordable to buy frozen fruits, especially berries, mangoes, and other tropical fruits that are not grown here.

Health Facts:
- Almond milk is naturally free of gluten, soy, dairy, sugar, cholesterol, peanuts, casein, eggs, saturated fat, and MSG.
- It is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D & E, and a good source of vitamin A.
- It is naturally vegan and low on the Glycemic Index which is good for diabetes control and weight management.
- It contains only 40 calories and 3.5 grams of (healthy fat) per cup.
- My favorite brand: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

So drink up and use Almond milk for all your baking, cooking, and/or drinking needs!

Summer Living Salad Style!

It is now officially summer and my favorite time of the year because: I get to run, swim, bike and be active outside all day, it is hot and sunny during the day and warm at night, and finally there are so many options for delicious and nutritious meals.

This is the best and easiest time of the year to boost your health: all you have to do is soak up the sun to get your daily dose of Vitamin D, play (be active) outside to get your physical activity, and eat all the fruits and veggies in season to get plenty of vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting anti-oxidants.

This recipe makes it very easy to add more veggies to your daily diet, you can eat as a side dish or as a meal with a scoop of quinoa, that is my favorite way!

GF Organic Summer Salad

• 1 head green leaf lettuce
• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
  
• 1 medium purple onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms

Serves 4-6 people, I make a big salad that lasts about 2 days for me and my hubby.
Chop all veggies and mix together in a large bowl.

Fresh veggies are all naturally gluten-free but beware of processed bottled dressings that not only may contain gluten but also preservatives, additives, and unnecessary sugar. This dressing recipe is so easy to make, it only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it tastes way better than that bottled crap. =)

GF Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Italian seasoning: or combine dried herbs: oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.
  

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, and desired amounts of salt, pepper and dried herbs.
Serve 1 or 2 spoonfuls over a serving of salad.

Health Tip /Facts:
Eat your salad with this lemon vinaigrette at the end of your meal to ease digestion, absorb more minerals and nutrients, promote weight loss, cleanse your blood, and cool the body from summer heat.

These leafy greens and veggies are full of nutrients that help eliminate waste from the body, reduce body fat, keep your skin looking and feeling healthy, cleanse your blood, reduce inflammation and infections, and prevent and treat illness, disease, and cancer.

So eat them all up!

Mexican Brown Rice

I am so happy brown rice is gluten-free because it provides so many health benefits and it is easy and fun to cook in so many different ways that never fail to turn out amazing. To get more insight of the many healing qualities of brown rice, visit the link below to view my facebook note:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=355085354823

I like to eat whole grain brown rice at least 2 to 3 times a week and this recipe will give you another great way to include it in your diet as well: you can serve it for any meal as a side dish or make it the main course by adding beans, meat, or veggies. To make the perfect meal that is vegetarian as well, try this rice with my homemade refried beans recipe (recipe featured last month) and top with avocado and salsa verde (recipe in January 2011 archive). This also goes very well with my Carne Asada, enchiladas (recipe coming soon), and much much more! I sure hope you get to try it soon!

Organic and GF Ingredients

• 3 cups rinsed whole grain brown rice
• 1 medium white or yellow onion
  
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• granulated garlic powder
  
• kosher or sea salt
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• water
  

Preparation:
In a pot filled with water, boil the tomatoes until the skin starts to peel off, then drain the water and cover the pot to let the tomatoes steam. After steaming for about 5 minutes, peel the skin off the tomatoes and puree in a blender until smooth with salt, garlic cloves, and garlic powder.

In the rice pot, add olive oil, enough to fill the bottom of the pot, and heat up on medium heat. Then add the rinsed brown rice and chopped onion and turn up to medium high heat, stir frequently, for about 10 minutes, until rice is evenly browned.

Add water and the tomato puree to the rice pot: make enough liquid to double the rice, this recipe needs 6 cups total of water and tomato puree together. Keep on medium high heat and bring to a boil.

After rice boils for a couple of minutes, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 65 to 75 minutes or until rice is fluffy and water is evaporated. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Let's Cook!

GF Strawberry Liquado

The next addition to my month of Mexican recipes goes to the Mexican version of what we know as the smoothie. This delicious treat is perfect for warm days and will satisfy your thirst and hunger at the same time. Enjoy it as a snack, meal, or even dessert!

I have come up with many varieties of delicious smoothies (which I have yet to share) but when my husband whipped up this version for me I was hooked on the first slurp. This is something his mother, Aurora Camacho, used to make for him when he was a child. I am so grateful for all our wonderful mothers who have taught us so much. Just one of the many important things I learned from my mother-in-law and husband is:
the most important ingredient in any recipe is Love- and love can be found in just about any Latin recipe. I hope everyone, especially all the great moms, had a wonderful mothers day this year!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of frozen strawberries (2 cups)
• 2 cups of unsweetened almond or coconut milk (add extra water in need)
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 2 TBS. local raw honey

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until liquado. Add more almond milk as needed. The key is to have it more liquidy than smoothie.

Sorber!

Mexican May(hem): GF Plantain Empanadas

It is now the month of May and I cannot tell you how excited I am for the recipes I am about to share. This month I will be focusing on all things Mexican! I have been waiting to share my favorite Mexican dishes for a while now and if you have tried mi Salsa Verde or Chilaquiles recipe than you know this white girl ain't no joke. =) I absolutely loved growing up in Los Angeles, not just for the great weather and ocean, but also because it exposed me to authentic Mexican culture and cuisine. Mexican food is not only my favorite food but I believe it to be the most delicious food in the world! Yeah I said it.

My first Mexican recipe for the month of May comes from a restaurant in Mexico City and was shared by Pati's Mexican Table; a cooking show on PBS featuring authentic Mexican recipes. They called it Plantain Quesadilla's, but because of the way it is cooked, how it looks, and a few minor changes I made to the recipe, I am calling them Empanadas. Whatever you call it is not the point, what matters is the end product and how much you are going to love it! It was labor intensive and time consuming, but what authentic Mexican food isn't? And more importantly, what authentic Mexican food isn't worth the time and effort?

Plantain Empanada stuffed with Refried beans

Makes from 6 to 8 large Empanadas

Ingredients

• 4 large or 6 medium yellow plantains
  
• 1 bag dried pinto beans
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 anaheim chilies
  
• 2 hot banana peppers
• 1/2 white or yellow onion
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
  
• safflower or olive oil
• kosher or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• garlic powder
  

Rebecca's Refried Beans

There are many ways to make refried beans but I like to add a little kick to mine. To prepare: soak dried pinto beans over night in a large pot of water. Drain and refill water at least once, I like to drain twice through soaking process to remove excess acid from the beans so they are easier to digest. In the large pot filled with water, bring the beans to boil then turn heat down to low and cover and simmer for 2 hours. Do not add any salt to the beans until the end of the cooking process (your beans will turn out very hard if you add salt too early). When beans are tender, drain the water leaving a little left in the beans to keep the beans moist. Mash the beans until smooth. Dice all peppers/chilies and chop onion and cilantro. In a large pan saute chilies, onion, and cilantro in olive or safflower oil on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add mashed beans, kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and garlic powder and mix together. Turn refried beans on low and cook for 10 more minutes.

Plantain Masa

The key to making the masa is selecting the right plantain. There are 3 stages you can cook a plantain: green, yellow, and black. Make sure you use only yellow plantains (they may have some black spots.) Place the whole plantains, with skin on, in a large pot filled with boiling water. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, until they are thoroughly cooked. Remove from the water and let cool. Peel the plantains, slice, and mash together with your hands until very smooth.

Make round balls of about 3 inches. Press in between plastic rounds in a tortilla press or roll with a roller until you get a flat disk. Place a tablespoon of refried beans right in the center and fold like a turnover and press edges together with fingers.

In a large deep skillet, add enough oil to have an inch high. One medium heat, about 5 minutes later, when it is hot but not smoking, insert the empanadas a few at a time. Let them fry, about 4-5 minutes on each side until nice and browned. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Optional: Serve with Mexican crema and mi salsa verde (recipe found in blog archive January 2011)

!QUE SABROSO!

Grilled, Gluten-Free, Grass-Fed Burgers and Organic Veggie Kabobs

There's nothing better than being able to enjoy the warmer months with healthy outdoor meals. If you don't have an outdoor grill you can 1- just get one already it's worth it, or 2- use a grill pan on your stove-top, it's not quite the same but it'll have to do.
I prepare a gluten-free burger by simply replacing the bun with leafy green lettuce. I have noticed gluten-free hamburger buns available at the grocery store but they are made with refined flours and contain processed sugar, additives, and preservatives that are just not good for anyone. Foods in their most natural state are always healthier for you and the only process it should go through is the one you use to cook and prepare it. So enjoy this meal soon because it not only provides a party in your mouth but it also provides heart-healthy fiber, fat, protein, and an array of vitamins and minerals from all the organic vegetables you will eat!

Grilled GF/GF Burgers
For a vegetarian option use portabella mushrooms in place of meat
serves 4
- 2 lbs grass-fed beef
I get my meat from Whole Foods or the French Market
- 2 Tbs unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the meat and form patties with parchment paper. Cook on outdoor grill or grill pan.
I have my husband to thank for this one =)

Burger Toppings
- organic leafy green lettuce
- organic onion slices
- heirloom tomato slices
- organic avocado slices
- organic / grass fed pepper jack cheese
- organic ketchup
My favorite brand: Organicville, because it's made with agave nectar instead of sugar and tastes amazing!

Organic Veggie Kabobs
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 purple onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 zucchini's
- 1 container mushrooms
- kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, unrefined extra-virgin olive oil.

Cut all veggies (except mushrooms) in 2 -3 inch pieces. Before placing the veggies on, soak the wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes so they do not burn on the fire. After putting on all the veggies, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Mmmmm, Mouth Watering!

Meat Eaters take a break with a Veggie Delight Dinner

In our country it is the norm to eat meat everyday and practically at every meal. Unfortunately, when people look at a plate of food without meat on it, they automatically think it will not be satisfying. Well I am here to give you some insight.

Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoy eating meat. However, when I do, it is high quality, healthy meat. It comes from animals that were grass-fed / vegetarian fed, without hormones and anti-biotics, and pasture raised (cage free.) This kind of meat does cost more which is why my husband and I only enjoy it at most, once a week. However, the health benefits alone outweigh the costs: the meat is lower in saturated and total fats than conventional meat, it contains 2 to 4 times the amount of Omega-3's (heart healthy fat), it improves cardiovascular health, and fights cancer.

You might be wondering if you will get enough nutrients like protein and iron if you eat less meat. This is not an issue because there are plenty of other food sources that contain these nutrients. My husband and I get most of our protein from foods like quinoa (a grain that has more protein than meat and is also a good source of iron), beans, almond milk, nuts, eggs, and fish.

If you are aware of how conventional meat in our country is processed and how the animals it came from were grown, raised, and fed, it would definitely make you think twice before consuming it . I highly recommend the documentary "Food Inc." to be fully informed on where your food comes from and how it was grown and made so you are able make healthier food choices.

But to give you a little insight now, here are some not so fun facts about our country's conventional meat:

- It is more likely to contain harmful bacteria that causes food-borne illness's (which can make you very ill and even kill you.)
- Animals are fed corn and other animal and waste materials which cause them to get sick and need anti-biotics. (grass-fed cows do not need anti-biotics)
- Animals are fed synthetic hormones (like rGBH) to make them grow faster and produce milk faster.
- Ground beef from corn fed cows is so full of bacteria they have to run it through ammonia to make it safe for people to eat. (if you can call ammonia soaked meat safe.)
- Animals are caged in inhumane conditions that increase the spreading of disease.

If this makes you feel like taking a break from meat today, here is a simple and delicious recipe you can try.

Roasted Broccoli and Quinoa

Quinoa cooks like rice but in half the time, bring water to a boil (double the amount of water to quinoa), add sea or kosher salt, add the quinoa, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook the broccoli for about 20 - 30 minutes

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen organic broccoli

1 organic small onion or 1/2 a large onion

8 cloves of garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper

Kosher or sea salt

Unrefined extra virgin olive oil


Spread broccoli, onion, and garlic on a flat pan or roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper (this will add a nice "kick").

Top the roasted broccoli over quinoa and enjoy. Who knew vegetables could taste this great!