Sundays gives me sweet and sour feelings, it makes me think a lot about the things I want to do that I didn’t get to do on Saturdays and at the same time I think to myself ‘heck tomorrow is Monday so I want to do nothing today’.  Today has felt different and I’m sure the fact that it isn’t freezing cold outside has a lot to do with it.  I played tennis and started the day with a fruity shake so I was hoping to not ruin the ‘healthy’ approach, yet I also enjoy my non-so-healthy meals on weekends.  I know it’s not good to reward yourself with food, but if you have met me for even a few hours in life, or read my tweets, or even looked at my instagram, by now you should know that I love food, and lots of it.

The other day on Twitter a friend shared her meal, and it had Kale Chips in it, she told me how easy in 9 minutes you can bake them, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I did the same thing, I used purple kale, removed the thick stems and broke the leaves with my fingers, drizzle the oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, salt and fresh pepper and yes, it was that easy!

Before I placed the kale inside of the oven, while pre-heating at 375F, I got my Lemon/Limeade going on, then reserved in the fridge.   Sliced my Sweet potatoes in cubes and put inside a deep dish, covered in plastic and cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes.  Sliced the Onions and used some leftovers cooked mushrooms to add once the onions were sauteed in the pan.  The Kale inside of the oven now, while my other pan is hot enough to drop my burger patties, cooked them with 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil.  Removed onions and mushrooms from the other pan, reserved in a plate and then added more coconut oil into the pan to sautee my now soft sweet potatoes. Removed burgers from the other pan and then toasted my bread with oil left in the pan.

This post isn’t about sharing a recipe since there was a lot going on and I didn’t actually take the time to write anything, I took pictures as the dishes were ready to eat, and since the boy was very hungry I only took a few shots!

Though this menu is completely vegan I have to share with all of you that I’m not a vegan anymore.  If anyone has a question please feel free to post under the comments, tweet, post on facebook, email, no faxes please! : )  just kidding.  Anyways I wanted to share this with you and if a recipe I post isn’t 100% vegan I’ll always try to share suggestions for substitutions.  I’m not sure I’ll be blogging more details on my change of diet, but for now I thank everyone who has supported me through this journey, I wouldn’t change it for a bit and my life is much better thanks to it.

Now I need to finish some of the fruit leftover and I’m already planning dinner, because it is a Sunday after all!

Peace.

Oven Baked – Kale Chips

Sweet Potato Home Fries

Crispy Veg Burger w/ Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions

Fresh Mango & Papaya Chunks

On the days I wouldn’t know what to cook while in high school I always relied on sausages (hot dogs links) to slice and cook with tomato paste, garlic, onions and some ketchup.  That dish would go great with anything, spaghetti, rice, roasted potatoes, fried yuca, potato salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, etc.

It was one of my staple dishes and the secret of why this simple dish was a success, is the same reason this recipe I’m sharing today is also another success, SEAR ALMOST EVERYTHING!

Nowadays I’ve been cooking a similar version, except this time I cook *vegan* (or so I try), and I found the Smart Dogs and let me tell you this, these protein links are so versatile you won’t believe the dishes I’ve come up with!

I’ll go back to basics sharing the recipe for this important simple dish in my life, adding some grown up touches (ahem..  more veggies), because oh well now I love mushrooms and I’m not 12 anymore!

In Panamá we call this dish *Salchichas Guisadas*, now this my vegan version of it, so here we go:

Salchichitas Guisadas Veganas: (Vegan Dogs links in garlicky tomato sauce)

Serves 4: – Prep Time + Cooking: 15-20 minutes.

1/2 package of a Smart Dogs (protein links, I prefer regular size but you could use the jumbo too)
1 tbs of minced fresh garlic
3 tbs of sliced scallions (2 tbs of the hard side and 1 tbs of the dark green softer side)
1 cup of sliced peppers
5 oz (approx 1/2 cup) of sliced shiitake mushrooms) (or any of your favorite mushrooms)
1 tsp of Sriracha
1 tsp of Bean Paste
2 tsp of Thin Soy Sauce (regular soy sauce might be saltier so watch out!)
1/2 tsp of Raspadura (raw sugar or maple syrup, or something sweet like ketchup, but not too strong like molasses!)
2 tbs of chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs of tomato paste

Directions:
1.  Sauteé your sliced mushrooms (add pinch of salt) with a little bit of oil in a hot pan, (on the photo it shows the level of caramelization of 4 minutes) you can go less or more time.
2.  Reserve mushrooms and add another 1-2 tbs of oil to the same pan and wait until is really hot again, then sauteé the sliced dogs now, until brown.
3.  Add to the mushrooms the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic, reduce heat at this point if necessary).
4.  Add the sliced peppers and the 2 tbs of the scallions (the harder side). Add the bean paste and tomato paste.
5.  Mix everything together and at this point you can add the rest, thin soy sauce, sriracha and your sweet liquid (raspadura).
6.  Add 2 ounces of water, and keep adding more water until the consistency you prefer, if it’s too thin just add more tomato paste or reduce a bit longer but your veggies will get soggy : (
7.  Cook and simmer for 2-3 minutes, adding spices if you want (cumin, paprika, etc.  I like a touch of hot mustard).
8.  Before turning off the heat add rest of the scallions and the cilantro.
Ready to serve, it lasts in the fridge 2-3 days!

NOTE: You don’t need Sriracha for this sauce, if you prefer a spicy chili sauce, or no spicy whatsoever it will work just fine.  I don’t add salt to the dish because I’m using Thin Soy Sauce, if you don’t have any soy sauce, adjust the seasoning with salt, but remember to taste, taste and taste!  You could also add spicy mustard, a touch of vegan mayonnaise or sour cream, be creative!

My favorite sides with this dish are: fried yuca, fried bread (hojaldre) or fried green plantains, nevermind the Sloppy joe’s, these salchichitas make a great sandwich too!  If you want to go with a healthier side dish I suggest having it with steamed brown basmati rice and roasted brussels sprouts, yup still delicious.

Now there you have it, my recipe for Salchichitas Guisadas Veganas.

Below, step by step for this dish:
 

Package of mushrooms, raw and then cooked 

Smart Dogs 

Uncooked and cooked smart dogs

Thin Soy Sauce/Tomato Paste/Sriracha/Bean Paste, Scallions & Peppers

¡a comer!

I’ll blame this eating madness to Labor weekend and the bad weather forecast.  The weather.com said it was supposed to rain so I decided to try a few products I’ve read are good, vegan and tasty.  I told myself why not, and now I’m hooked.

It took me 2 months missing cheese and to read more about the whole milk industry to force myself to try Daiya… I tried it melted with sauteed garlic and vegetables inside of a warm bun and mushroom burger, heaven? yes!

So I heard a husband’s friend talking about how I wouldn’t be able to enjoy BBQ deliciousness anymore along with the sides because they usually have dairy and/or animals, eggs too, and of course I proved him wrong! Yes I could and yes you can enjoy comfort food.

This is simple and you can make everything from scratch pretty much, if you don’t like gardein, buy seitan or tempeh, if you don’t like canned beans, soak and cook your own, I saw tons of recipes for baked beans from scratch.  If you don’t like Daiya, you can make it buttery with Earth Balance margarine or your favorite butter substitute and mashed garlic.

Here it goes:

Gardein Crispy Chick’n served 4 portions (thought package says it serves 3) and I didn’t use the mandarin sauce inside of te package because all I wanted was something crispy to go with my baked beans and mac n cheese.

I followed the instructions on the package, I heated up 2 tbs of grapeseed oil and brown the strips on both sides and voila! simple as that.

Amy’s, I’m not a big fan of canned beans, they aren’t usually cook to my taste, but the refried ones come in handy at times, and if I buy a brand it is usually Amy’s or Eden. I wasn’t in the mood to make baked beans from scratch and this is when Amy’s came in handy.  I like to add leftovers to my beans and I had some smart bacon strips and tempeh so I chopped and sautéed them.  After a few minutes I added the Amy’s baked beans, I also added 1/4 cup of water because I don’t like my baked beans too chunky.  If you have onions or peppers, sauté them and with the baked beans, they go great together!

Mac n cheese w/ Daiya cheese wedge, well this I did make from scratch and this is how it goes:

1/2 package of cheese

3 tbs of  Margarine (or any vegan butter)

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup of unsweetened dairy free milk (I had regular almond and coconut milk leftover and it worked just fine with both)

Whole wheat pasta of your preference (corn pasta should work great too! for gluten-free folks!) (2 cups give or take)

Chili powder

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta to your preference (not too soft if you are planning to bake the mac n cheese)

2. In the pot you cooked the pasta; pour the milk and butter until it warms up a bit and then add the cheese (it melts faster when you crumble it).

3. Stir until everything is melted and add vegetable stock (half first).

4.  In low heat keep stirring, add the pasta and incorporate the sauce, make sure the  pasta is all covered with it and add more vegetable stock if it’s too sticky.

5.  Add chili powder to your taste or any other spice of your preference.

—

You can see the results! I was so happy because I really enjoy crispy texture in my dishes.  I reheated the Mac n Cheese the next day and the sauce broke but it tasted just fine!

I can’t wait to try other things with that Gardein crispy chick’n: in a sandwich, with chili basil sauce or buffalo wing sauce!

I still prefer to make my own baked beans but this is a good replacement for days I don’t want to do much in the kitchen.

Give Daiya cheese some time, I remember the first time I had sushi 9 years ago I literally put the piece I was chewing back on my napkin, and then a few times more I ended up loving it, so yes we can educate out palates!  This time it’s not only for our taste buds but because it seems the right way to go, not taking baby calves milk to make our usual cheeses and instead when we have a crave we know we can rely on brands like Daiya and others that are trying to offer something non dairy!

If you still have dairy I think this recipe works the same way but mac n cheese recipes with animal products  you can find everywhere, so that’s why I wanted to share this vegan version.

Oh what a journey this vegan life… This isn’t my healthiest recipe but it was so comforting to make and EAT and sometimes that’s all I want.

Peace

&

¡a comer!

I started eating Kale while working with Chef Andy at Lyon Hall restaurant.  Iâ€m sure Iâ€ve tasted it or something similar in Panama but I never paid so much attention to greens when I was younger .   So when I tried Kale a couple of years ago at the restaurant, blanched or sauteed with garlic, salt and pepper  it was a new discovery for me.

I usually use Kale on my salads or slice it finely and add to pasta dishes for the husband, blend it on green smoothies or add to fried rice. It is actually very versatile and if cooked properly it will taste delicious a touch bitter similar to spinach but not too pungent like arugula.

Kale chips from New Family Naturals are worthy for me to drive all the way to Vienna from Arlington.  I visited that farmers market just to see how different it was from Courthouse or Falls Church and then I met this sweet lady Toya giving away samples of the Kale Chips and Flax Seed Crackers (which are the bomb too!). It was “Love at first bite!” So tasty and no dairy, I kept reading the ingredients, I was thinking there has to be a catch! haha!  These chips are so tasty I went back two more times to this farmers market.

GIVEAWAY INFO!!

Toya and I’ve have talked about how amazing her Kale Chips are and how people should know about them! Besides it is local and she chooses carefully her products, I have so much respect for New Family Naturals goodies so I’m honored to present this Giveaway from my Blog and these are the simple instructions:

You just need to do one of these 2 options Twitter or Facebook (2 winners 1 in US and another one International!)

1.      “Like” New Family Naturals on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NewFamilyNaturals and mention this (tagging their FB page):

Help Fund a small, Independent Business – & Get Rewards! Make Healthy, REAL FOOD Mainstream. New Family Naturals: http://bit.ly/KXESSS

and/or:

2.      “Follow” NewFamNaturals on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/newfamnaturals and tweet:

 Help Fund a small, Independent Business – & Get Rewards! FREE Kale Chips contest! @NewFamNaturals  Healthy & REAL FOOD Mainstream.  http://www.indiegogo.com/NewFamilyNaturals-Market

—

You can tweet or post on FB 1 time or as many times as you wish to increase the chances of winning these goodies! Remember that not only you could win these delish Kale Chips combo but you are also supporting a Small Local Entrepeneur, read more about New Family Naturals on their website: http://newfamilynaturals.com/

This contest will run from June 4 – 11, I will announce the winners on FB & Twitter on June 12!

Sugar Cane

Sugar Cane Juice is one of the most refreshing natural juices I love to drink and more on this over 80F degrees days.  I remember visiting a Bangkok Golden last week and Chef Seng asking one of the waitresses to bring a round of Sugar Cane juice for the table.

I visit this restaurant weekly but besides hot tea or a Beer Lao, I usually never order any drinks because of bad experiences in other places, I’m very picky about my natural juices so I never end up enjoying them unless truly they are fresh. Anyways, I was hesitant at first and then the pretty glasses arrived and with my first sip there came a big smile as well, it tasted just as when back in home at my family’s farm back home.

This really brought back old memories, summer time playing with my brothers and cousins, running around, getting the Canes and passing through the Trapiche, that looks more like this: Old School Trapiche with a horse squeezing the cane through the pieces of wood in the middle, the horse would go around pushing it and the juice would go straight inside a huge container, sometimes I would get the already squeeze cane and just chew for minutes trying to get more juice out of it.

I should write a whole post about Sugar Cane and Raspadura, I promise for the next time!

Sugar Cane Machine

This machine to squeeze the Sugar Cane juice is the one Chef Seng uses at Bangkok Golden Restaurant, really it can’t get fresher than this!

Instead of using simple syrup on your cocktails I highly suggest replacing it with this nectar and if you get the chance like my friend Caitlin said, add a stick of sugar cane on that drink and no shame chewing on it!

¡a comer!

Just as my platform for posting today was an experiment (posting from mobile) so  was my cooking with this “vegetarian” product.  I bought this while shopping at Target, it got my attention and I thought to myself well I’m sure it won’t be the healthiest choice and I must admit I was more thinking of my beef stir fry and how much I miss it so I bought it.

The brand is Gardein and I’m not sure about the price now but I’m sure it costs less than $4

I’m posting this photo and I hope it looks good since the size and alignment options are a bit different from when I use WP on my laptop.

So you can see the Beefless tips look decent-yum and me and the Boy tasted them after cooking with the stir fry.  Well it wasn’t horrible, but it was just strange for me, I’ve tried seitan and its nothing like that, nor tofu, nor any other wheat protein meat-fake products I’ve tried (I’ve only tried around 3).

This product looks good, cooks well but it doesn’t taste delicious and if you read the nutrition facts you can see it isn’t the healthiest one either, so why do people still buy it?  Well I don’t know why they do, I did be because I was curious and missing beef.

I removed all the Beefless tips from my stir fry and placed it in the garbage, I don’t like wasting food but I won’t eat something that is not delicious or healthy, it has to be one of those.

After my experience with this fake-meat all I can say is this:

“Long live the Egg”

For those interested in RSVP this is the link: http://benzigerwine.eventbrite.com/

And the Wine Cooperative FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheWineCooperative

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

6:00 PM to 9:30 PM Washington DC

The Wine Cooperative is pleased to present special guest Mike Benziger as we celebrate his wines with a special pairing menu created by Chef Xavier Deshayes of the International Trade Center.  Please join us on April 18th to enjoy a fabulous Five Course Dinner along with some of Benziger Winery’s finest wine.  The evening will begin with a reception at 6 pm and dinner will be served at 7 pm.  The Wine Cooperative is located on the Concourse level of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center adjecent the Federal Triangle Metro entrance.

Benziger Family Wine Dinner Menu

April 18^th, 2012

Amuse Bouche

Sautéed Duck Foie Gras with Orange Organic Quinoa, Kumquat Sauce

Benziger Chardonnay

Second Course

Warm Snail Flamiche Tart with Wild Watercress, Basil Emulsion

Benziger Pinot Noir

Third Course

Pan Roasted Sturgeon Fillet with Coconut Mango Red Himalaya Rice Pilaf, Braised Baby Bok Choy, Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon

Fourth Course

Pan Seared Wagyu Beef Tenderloin with Celery Root Mash and Pencil Asparagus Fricassee, Black Mission Fig Sauce

Benziger Tribute

Dessert

A Trio of Chocolate Crème Brulée

Warm Almond and Plum Tart, Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

Candied Buddha Hand, Citrus Olive Oil Sorbet, Port Wine Sauce

Benziger Muscato

Yo no sé por dónde ese señor caminó que no se encontró con frutas, porque hasta saliendo de mi casa me tropezaba yo con algún puesto de banana, vendedores de mangos, mamón chino (rambután) y pixbaes!

Esta traducción me ha tomado aproximadamente 30 minutos así que mis disculpas por los errores.

No he sido autorizada para hacer esta traducción, solo estoy compartiendo con mis amistades que no leen en inglés y si es bien cierto me enoja las conclusiones de este señor pero a ustedes mis lectores les dejo la traducción y comentar se ha dicho.  Y por favor si alguien recomienda alguna corrección para esta traducción escribirme a littleladycook@gmail.com y con gusto le arreglo!  Paz :)

Link original —> Panamanian Food: Cover It with Ketchup or Set It on Fire

¡a comer! (aparentemente con ketchup)

—–

Mientras que en Panamá no hace falta lugares locales de comer económicos y alegres, Panamá es el lugar para mantener la billetera tranquila, engordarse algunas libras y tomar vino y comer poniendo el corazón contento. – Lonely Planet Quinta Edición de Lonely Planet-

Mis experiencias con la cocina local y el ambiente gastronómico en la ciudad de Panamá fueron completamente diferentes y mucho menos románticos que la narrativa optimística en nuestra honesta Guía de Lonely Planet. De hecho pasé 2.5 días explorando la ciudad, y esos días los pasé casi exclusivamente disfrutando el Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO/ barrio del Casco Viejo, que está actualmente bajo restauración masiva como no he visto antes.

Algo en lo que LP (Lonely Planet) si estuvo cierto fue en lo que es “suave con la billetera”/ Si hubiese tenido más tiempo de seguro me hubiese encontrado con comida más deliciosa y con precios más razonables de los que me encontré… cierto? Como fue, me fui de la ciudad de Panamá, con mi estómago lleno de almidón y carbohidratos, sin embargo algo insatisfecho.

Como pescetarian (vegetariano que sólo come mariscos) y no puedo darme el gusto comiendo carne roja que Panamá promete es una de sus especialidades, llegué con expectativas modestas por mariscos frescos, frutas frescas y abundante platos de arroz y frijoles. Yo asumí que todo esto estaría disponible y super barato… y supongo lo estaban, algo, pero esto no es SurAsia. Puede que Bangkok me ha malcriado.

Comida en la calle? No, casi en ningún lado.

Puestos o carritos de vendedores de frutas desbordándose con piñas, mangos, guineos y cocos? No.

Montones de frijoles y arroz cubiertos en cebolla, servidos con acompañamientos de yuca hervida y plátanos maduros empalagosos, como en mis fonda Latinoamericana favorita en Nueva York en la esquina de Spring y la calle Lafayette? Ni se le compara.

En el Casco Viejo, el crecimiento de restaurantes de cocina internacional ha hecho que los precios suban y que las fondas locales salgan del lugar.

He notado que es un área turístico en crecimiento, y que lugares asé tienen precios turísticos también, pero fue realmente impresionante encontrarse con restaurantes con precios consistentes con los de Nueva York. Todavía existen “escondidos” un buen puñado de lugares con estilo buffet. Lugares como No-Frills Coca Cola cafe, en donde probé este arroz con mariscos (foto de arriba), arroz amarillo con vegetales salteados y trozos saludables de pulpo. Estuvo…ok, pero un poco simplón y profundamente necesitando picante, así como lo comen los locales, excepto que…

La mayoría de los panameños que obervé comiendo no utilizaban picante, utilizaban en vez ketchip. Ketchup! Montones de arroz blanco o amarillo con marisco? Cubiertos en ketchup. Pescado entero frito? Vertir ketchup por completo en él. Ceviche, uno de los platos favoritos en la ciudad de Panamá? También vi eso, se lo comían con ketchup. Hey, yo soy el que tiene el paladar extranjero y no tengo derecho a juzgar la obsesión de los panameños con el ketchup, pero… asco.

No comí una sola fruta en la ciudad de Panamá porque no me encontré con ninguna, excepto en el supermercado. No comí arroz con frijoles negros, ni lentejas, y arroz si pero con menos sabor que de una caja de Zatarain’s. No pude encontrar yuca que no fuese frita, mientras que el acompañamiento favorito de patacones sabía tan simple, que no funcionó para mí. El picante fue bien cierto el salvador de la mayoría de mis platos.

Un lugar que si disfruté e inclusó regresé fue el Mercado de Mariscos, un restaurante sencillo, en el segundo piso del Mercado afuera del Casco Viejo y que llena muchísimo durante horas de almuerzo, sobretodo los fines de semanas. El ceviche de corvina es relativamente económica por $4 y sabrosa, mientras que los pescados fritos ($7-$9) estuvieron calientitos y maravillosos.

De resto, meh.

La escena gastronómica de Panamá fue decepcionante. De repente necesito agregar más ketchup.

*No estoy insinuando que la comida panameña es tan mala que deba prenderse con fuego, es solo una referencia oscura a una canción de Ween, y el fuego me refiero al picante. Nada más. Y que conste aunque no me disculparé por ser honesto con mis experiencia mala-limitada en Panamá en un solo barrio, yo sí disfruté de la comida en otros lugares del país y me encantaría encontrar más si llegase a regresar. Esto es más que todo un comentario parcial y gentil en la super vendida Guía de Lonelu Planet… ah y… comida cubierta en ketchup da asco.

Sloane who is a senior student at Wakefield High School contacted Chef Andy Bennett from Lyon Hall to ask for support and guidance on her project which is demonstrating a traditional dish in a healthier and vegetarian version of it.  I asked Chef Andy if I could do this demo since I’ve been working on my recipes for vegetarian dishes.

This is going to be exciting, I’ll be working with another Line Cook from Lyon Hall (Jonathan Trejo) who is off that night and volunteered to help me out, it will be for less than 20 people, we will prep at the restaurant and then demo everything at the School.

I hope I get a chance to shoot some photos and I will post again about this experience I’m sure it will be special and different because it will be the food I grew up with but with a few touches and of course I can’t wait to cook this vegetarian version!

For beverage I’m considering a Saril-Limeade w/ Raspadura – (Hibiscus Limeade w/ Raw Cane Sugar). We will see how it goes, I’ll do my best for Sloane and I’m sure we will have a blast!

By the way, this flyer was designed by her, she allowed me to do a few tweaks but I love her idea of green and brown, wish I was half mature when I was her age.   I’m very proud of see students like her taking this step with a good purpose which is eating healthier and vegetarian!

¡a comer!

I’ll be co-hosting with Daphne from GoGastronomy  at Agora

Please come over to join us, drink & eat and let’s talk all good and non-sense about food, it’s always fun!

See ya there folks!

Cocinerita