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July 27, 2012 · 4:35 pm

Puerto Rico VII: Vegetarian Pasteles In Banana Leaves

Yummy!These are the Puerto Rican version of “tamales”. Traditional pasteles are filled with pork or white fish. But my aunt made me some with only all “masa” dough which is in my opinion the most delicious part. Pasteles are labor intensive and are typically made for special occasions or holiday ( Christmas ).

Couldn’t get enough of these ! I got a shot of my beautiful cousin Celeste eating one outside.

Masa (dough)

  • 1 1/3 lbs. yautía
  • 3 lbs. guineos verdes
  • 1 lbs. potatoes
  • 1 green plantain
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • ¼ cup achiote oil
  • salt

Peel the rest of the vegetables, rinse them and grate in a food processor. Add milk, oil, and salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

It is best to do this the day before actually putting the pasteles together. It makes for easier handling masa.

The Wrapper (use either banana leaves or aluminum foil)
Banana leaves. Use 10 bundles of plaintain leaves. Remove the central ridge on each leaf. Divide leaves into pieces, about 10″ square. Wash and clean leaves with a damp cloth and blanch them (toast them slightly over gas stove flames).

If you have just a few plantain leaves cut them in small pieces and add a piece to each pastel for more flavor.

Aluminum foil.Use aluminum foil with butcher paper or plastic wrap on top to make a “wrapper.” You may add a piece of banana leaf (if available) right on top.

Assembling the pasteles
(Cover the kitchen counter with newspaper for easier cleanup time)
Turn on your Puerto Rican music. . . .

Grease center of the wrapper – using the back of a spoon dipped in achiote oil.

HINT – Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop dough (this helps keep the pasteles the same size). In the center of the wrapper place ½ cup of dough and thinly spread it not more than 5″ long and about 4″ wide. Keep a small ruler handy to determine size until you can “eye-ball it.”

Tie the pastel. (You may skip this part completely if you are using foil paper – simply make sure the folds are pressed securely.) Tie the pastel with string to hold it together. Make one run of string lengthwise and two runs the other way . This will hold the banana leaves secure.

Cook the pasteles for 1 hour turning them once half way through cooking. Freshly cooked pasteles taste much better.  Freeze them raw.

¡Buen provecho! This is a common phase used before eating or serving a meal, a polite version of enjoy. 

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July 8, 2012 · 5:48 pm

Peachy Picnic: Vegan Peach Pie and Peach Tea

Hmm what to make with peaches? Most of us have a tree full of them at home and want to get a little creative with them. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of peaches is tea and pie. I’ve never made a pie from scratch so I knew this would be my opportunity to get down to business! It’s always fun challenging yourself to make something new things because it’s a new skill you could add to your personal “tool box” of things you could do.

Making a pie can be quite messy if your doing it for the first time but baking can little chaotic in general if you’re not an avid baker.

Of course I had to attempt to make this pie as healthy as possible by veganizing it and using whole-wheat flour for the crust. It came out tasty and it’s almost entirely guilt free if your trying to watch your sweet intake.

So why not make a picnic out of pie and tea? It’s always nice having company and being outside chit chatting about life, food, ideas, and future plan. It’s interesting how every friendship you have is uniquely different and you learn something new from each one of them.

Sara:)

Vegan Peach Pie:

* I doubled this recipe

  • 1 1/2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
  • Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons stevia
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice (or almond milk)

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl place all of the dry ingredients.
  2. Add milk and oil, mix with a fork.
  3. Pat into 9-inch pan with fingertips.
  4. If pre-baked crust is desired bake at 425 for 10 -12 minutes.

Filling:
3-4 peaches, roughly diced and sliced
1/3 cup soy milk
1 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder
1/3 cup stevia
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 cup Earth Balance melted butter – cubed * vegan

  1.  Peaches. Fold the peaches into the filling ingredients.
  2.  Pull the crust from the oven and pour in peaches. Dot with your 1/4 cup cubed butter. Grab chilled dough (other half) and roll out. Slice into strips. Arrange on top.
  3.  Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Cool. Serve warm.

Peach Tea

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 3 family size tea bags
  • 2 fresh peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons stevia powder

Directions

  1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the tea bags, and steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags.
  2. Meanwhile, place peaches with 1 cup water into the jar of a blender, and blend until very smooth. Pour the peach mixture, tea, and stevia powder into a 1 gallon pitcher. Fill the pitcher to the top with water, and stir until blended

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June 25, 2012 · 2:32 pm

Strawberry Water

I could sip on this water all day and I did!Fresh fruit waters, or Aguas de Frutas, made with crushed or blended fruit are a common and popular drink all over Mexico. This recipe is extremely flavorful and refreshing, especially when fresh strawberries are in season.When making this water its important to lets the strawberries marinade with sugar (stevia) and water before tossing everything in the blender. Over night would be perfect to extract the strawberry flavors.

Strawberry Water

Ingredients

  • 4 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 1 cup Raw Stevia
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
  • 8 fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together sliced strawberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
  2. Remove the strawberry mixture from the refrigerator and pour into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Pour the blended berry mixture through a wire mesh strainer set over a large mixing bowl; discard the pulp and seeds.
  3. Add the remaining 7 cups cold water to the pureed strawberries and mix well. Place the Aqua de Fresa in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or pour over ice and serve immediately. Garnish with lime slices or mint leaves.

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June 21, 2012 · 10:56 pm

Healthy Raspberry French Toast

Healthy and french toast in the same sentence? Yes! With the right ingredients anything is possible. I decided to make my own raspberry topping which is easy and fast to do.So no need to go purchase an expensive high sugar topping with little yield. I actually even had a lot of the topping left over which can be used for about just anything needing sweet syrup ( mixer,water,topping, salad dressing,ect).

When making the french toast its important to choose a whole wheat bread. Make sure it not honey oat or made from refined white flour

White bread is made from refined white flour containing several unwholesome constituents and very little in the way of nutrients and dietary fibre, essential for a healthy digestive system and a stable metabolism. This is why:

Refined white flour is produced from the whole wheat grain which is then subjected to the refining process which removes all traces of the husk, or bran and along with it all the goodness contained in the grain. It is then bleached using chemical bleaching agents which contain chlorine and dried in kilns at high temperature to kill any remaining beneficial constituents. This insipid, bland, tasteless powder then has gluten added, which is a product that an increasing number of people are becoming allergic to, which helps to produce a more evenly risen and air filled loaf. A standard while loaf of bread also has sugar added to enable the baker’s yeast to prove the dough and make it rise. Salt is also added to check the progress of the yeast and prevent the loaf from rising too much, or over-proving.

Eating mass produced white bread can be somewhat likened to eating cardboard, such is its blandness and lack of any useful dietary benefit whatsoever. Small bakery bread and home made loaves usually taste a little better but because refined white flour is used in their production, there is still no health benefit.

Healthy French Toast: 

  •  1 Egg White
  •  1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 4 drops of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia (Optional, may also use sugar or other sugar substitute)
  • 1 slice of Ezekiel Bread ( Love this bread. Low Glycemic)

Topping:

  • Raspberries
  • 1 cup of water
  • ¾ Raw stevia/ sugar

First, mix together first 4 ingredients.  Feel free to add more milk or cinnamon.  To be honest, I normally do not measure but did so for this recipe.

Next, dip a slice of bread (I prefer Ezekiel) in the egg mixture, coating both sides.  I like to let my bread soak for about 5 minutes but this is purely optional.

Preheat a little frying pan.  Grease with your choice of cooking spray or butter if you like.  Add bread and top with leftover mixture that was not soaked in.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until it reaches your desired toasting color.

For raspberry topping let simmer for 5-10 minutes and stir.Don’t over cook.

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Aside

Jennifer Nichole Lee Diet And Grocery List

Jennifer Nichole Lee is best know for coining the phase ” Strong Is the New Skinny” and becoming the ultimate fitness guru.With no prior athletic background and  battling with her weight for years she made the initiative to make a complete lifestyle change.Lee adopted a health eating habits and high intense workout routine which lead to a 70 pounds weight loss and whole body transformation.Here’s is her one day meal plan and grocery list.

Breakfast:

Egg white omelet made with coconut oil, with spinach, asparagus & mushrooms. Slice of extra dark German sprouted wheat bread, tomatoes on the side, and tall glass of water.

Mid Morning Meal:
Protein Shake made with water, blended with ground flax seeds, Omega-3 oil, flax seed oil, and coconut oil.

Lunch:
4% ground antibiotic-free, organic grass-fed lean beef hamburger, served open-faced on dark bread with a touch of hummus, and topped with spinach.

Late Afternoon Meal:
Protein shake made with water, blended with ground flax seeds, Omega-3 oil, flax seed oil, and coconut oil.

Dinner:
Grilled fish, topped with mixed Caribbean vegetables in a spicy coconut broth, green side salad with carrot ginger dressing.

*If you are still hungry after dinner, you can have another protein shake.

Grocery Shopping List:

Eggs
Lean Red Meats
Fish
Poultry
Bison or deer meat
Sweet potatoes
Brown Rice
Whole grain bread
Whole grain pita bread or wraps
Hummus
Asparagus
Broccoli
Spinach
Salad greens
Cauliflower
Carrots
Blueberries
Grapefruit
Apples
Grapes
Strawberries
Watermelon

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June 10, 2012 · 5:14 pm
June 9, 2012 · 3:41 pm

Cucumber Mint Water With A Zest Of Lemon

This is one of the most natural refreshing drinks ever!! During these hot summer days we tend to lean toward drinks that will satisfy and quench our thirst but steer clear from sugary beverages that advertises to be “natural”.Most sweeten ice teas and lemonade are jam packed with up to 40 gram of refined sugar . So grab a pitcher,a pinch of mint, chop up some cucumber,zest a lemon and enjoy some refreshing healthy water.

Cucumbers contain vitamin C and caffeic acid, two antioxidant nutrients that can help protect the skin from sun damage. Vitamin C boosts collagen and elastin, which helps keep skin looking vibrant while caffeic acid protects skin cells from UV radiation. Cucumbers also have natural anti-inflammatory properties and help to prevent water retention. Cucumbers also contain silica, an essential component of healthy connective tissue.

Ingredients:

  • Mint
  • Water
  • Cucumber
  • Zest of a lemon

For dinner I wanted to make something light and easy to make so I cooked  up a veggie omelet under a bed of fresh baby spinach (spinach is not in picture).

  • Egg Whites= Protein
  • Veggies= Low Carb
  • Avocado=Fat (good fat)

Egg White Omelet:

  • 4 Egg Whites
  • Diced Onion
  • Mushroom
  • Diced Yellow Squash
  • Topped Off With Avocado
  • Fresh Baby Spinach

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June 8, 2012 · 8:20 pm

Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

This is the healthiest and most delicious pizza crust recipe Iv’e ever had. It so easy to make and require very little ingredient so there is no need to go buy a whole list of different ingredient. You could get yeast packets for pizza at practically ever grocery store. So next time your thinking of making pizza for a group friends, woo them with this awesome healthy recipe. This dough is perfect for any type of pizza.

I like to be silly when I cook and it’s something I enjoy doing so it’s always fun. First, I start with a few yoga moves such as Warrior I , just to stretch my body because cooking can get pretty intense :)

Ingredients

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes.
  4. Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
Source: Allrecipes.com
PS: Tossing your dough is the best way to get even crust and its fun. Be careful!

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May 31, 2012 · 4:01 pm

Healthy Veggies Stir Fry With Buckwheat Noodles

Soba buckwheat noodles remind me of Top Ramen noodles but healthier.This is a fast and easy to make asian tasting stir fry. I would of wanted to incorporate more veggies such as as celery, cabbage, edamame and shiitake mushrooms but I wasn’t willing to make the drive to the grocery store so I used what I had and it came out delicious. You could serve this cold or hot.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces soba noodles
  • 1/2 cup Braggs amino acids (or low sodium soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup of broccoli
  • 1 cup of bean sprouts
  • 3 whole carrots, shredded with vegetable peeler
  • 2 cups shelled edamame, steamed
  • 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • Optional ingredients for extra flavor
    • one lime, juiced
    • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
    • peanut butter!

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Super Red Berry Up Beet Smoothie

-Raw.Vegan. Delicious.

Ingredients 

Beets. Raspberries.Apple. Strawberries.

Oh YESS! This is officially new favorite drink, that is until I find a new one . So I decided to gather all the red fruits&veggie from my refrigerator and make this smoothie. I love the combination of beets and raspberries. You might be thinking raw beets in a smoothie? But they are actually naturally sweet,are high in nutrients and low in fat, and both the beet root and plant leaves are edibleBeets of any color are high in several vitamins, A, B1, B2, B6 and vitamin C. Beets contain calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron, with the beet leaves containing more iron than most other green, leafy vegetables. Beets fight cancer, protect against artery disease, regulate blood pressure and cleanse the blood and liver.

Just Beet it!

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May 17, 2012 · 2:37 am
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1. Strawberries + 2. Banana 3. Protein = Go!

1. Strawberries + 2. Banana 3. Protein = Go!

-H2o.Organic Vanilla Soy Milk. Dash of Flax Seed Meal. 

I love meals that can me throw together in less than a minute. Its perfect for when Im trying to multitask . Making coffee, gather my things together,looking for my keys, doing some last minute cleaning and making a quick breakfast.

One reason its important to have protein for breakfast is because it helps reduce your appetiate throughout the day. It also keeps you fuller for longer and energized.

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May 8, 2012 · 4:58 pm