Illustration by my friend Leo Lammie

I like pasta and I LOVE eggplant, as you know I’m not crazy about vegetables but the versatility of eggplants blows my mind away.  Crispy, soft, pickled, you mention it, eggplant is the queen of vegetables!  Making a Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna isn’t a new discovery, but it is for me and what a discovery it has been.

This is the second pasta-less lasagna that I have baked, and it made me so proud that I asked my friend Leo for an illustration for the Eggplant and the Mushroom.  I told him eggplant is a lady and shroom is a grumpy guy, why?  I have no idea, that’s how I see them in my mind and in Spanish the articles in front of each define the eggplant as feminine (la berenjena) and the mushroom as a boy (el hongo), unless of course you speak Spain Spanish then you say (las setas), but I’m Panamanian so I can get to call shrooms boys : )

The garlic really adds flavor to this recipe, and the sauce with the Malbec turned out so wonderfully that I’ll be using it for a vegetarian meatball recipe soon.  This time I promise I will use pasta : )

Eggplant Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
Serves 6 portions – Cooking Time 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed mushrooms, cooked, (500gr raw button mushrooms, 4 cups chopped, raw)
1 medium size Eggplant
1 cup onions, chopped
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup and a half of fired roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine (I used Malbec)
1 fresh bay leaf
1.5 tbs of Tomato Paste
Fresh basil

1/3 lb ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
Salt
2 tbs baba ghanouj (or use extra ricotta and a pinch of cumin)

Instructions (sauce)
1.  In a hot pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, saute the onions until brown and soft at medium-high heat 4-5 minutes.
2.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, add the cooked mushrooms, salt and pepper Reduce the heat to low-med.
3.  Add the wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup of water and bay leaf and cook for 4-5 minutes.
4.  Strain the liquid into another pan and reserve the vegetables.  Reduce the sauce up to around one cup (10 minutes), add more salt, pepper, 3-4 leaves of fresh chopped basil before turning it off and taste.
5.  In separate bowls keep cooked vegetables and sauce.

Instructions (eggplant)
1.  Pre-heat oven at 400F
2. Slice the Eggplants to the thickness of our preference and arrange the slices in a single layer on a 2 baking sheets. Brush all the slices (both sides with olive oil, sprinkle salt and fresh pepper).
3.  Roast the eggplant slices for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.
4.  Remove from oven and reserve until they cool off.

Instructions (ricotta cream)
1.  Strain the liquid off your ricotta through a cheesecloth or in a colander (this is to avoid extra liquid in the lasagna, I didn’t strain my ricotta and it still worked fine).
2.  In a mixing bowl whisk the egg with a pinch of salt, add the ricotta, garlic, parmesan cheese, and baba ghanouj.

Instructions to make the lasagna
1. Pre-heat the oven at 375F
2.  In a glass baking dish (I used an 8″) , brush olive oil, layer with eggplant slices, then provolone cheese slices, then all vegetables, half of the sauce, all the ricotta mixture, then again , eggplant again, provolone and the rest of the sauce.  Top the sauce with shredded Parmesan and or one more slice of provolone (yes it is cheesy), black pepper and bake in the oven 15-20 minutes, turn up the heat at 450 and bake for 3-5 more minutes to gratin your cheese.
3. Serve lasagna with fresh basil, welcome to heaven.

 ¡a comer!

A mí me gusta la pasta, pero amo la berenjena, y como ya saben, no soy muy amante de los vegetales, pero la versatilidad de las berenjenas me da un millón de ideas para cocinar.  Crujiente, al escabeche, suave, la berenjena es la reina de los vegetales!  Sé que hacer una lasagna vegetariana de berenjenas no es un nuevo descubrimiento, pero para mí si lo ha sido y uno tremendo.

Esta es la segunda vez que hago una lasagna sin pasta, y el resultado me enorgulleció tanto que le pedí a mi amigo leo que me hiciera una ilustración.  Así que ahí está la berenjena feliz y el hongo amargadito, una parejita que me imaginé.  : )

El ajo agrega muchísimo sabor a esta receta, y la salsa con el Malbec queda tan deliciosa que la utilizaré para una receta de albóndiga vegetarianas.  Esa vez prometo que sí utilizaré pasta : )

Receta de Berenjenas Vegetarianas 
Rinde 6 porciones ‘ Tiempo de cocción: 1.5 horas

Ingredientes:
1 taza de hongos picaditos cocidos. (500gramos de hongos crudos picados, alrededor de 4 tazas)
1 Berenjena mediana
1 taza de Cebolla picada
Aceita de Oliva
3 dientes de Ajo picados
1 1/2 taza de tomates picados rostizados
1/4 taza de vino tinto (Yo usé Malbec)
1 hoja de Laurel fresca
1.5 cda de pasta de Tomate
Albahaca Fresca

1/3 libra de Ricotta
1/2 taza de queso Parmesano rallado
2 dientes de ajo picadito
1 huevo
Sal
2 cda de baba ghanouj o agregue más ricotta con comino

Instrucciones (salsa)
1.  En una olla caliente con dos cucharadas de aceite de oliva, caramelice la cebolla picada hasta que ablande un poco 4-5 minutos a temperatura media alta.
2.  Agregue el ajo y cocine por 2 minutos, agregue los hongos cocidos, sal y pimienta. Reduzca la temperatura a baja-media.
3.  Agregue el vino, los tomates, la pasta, 1 taza de agua y la hoja de laurel, cocine de 4-5 minutos.
4.  Drene el líquido en otra olla y guarde los vegetales en un bol. Reduzca la salsa a una taza (10 minutos) agregue sal, pimienta, 3-4 hojas picadas de albahaca antes de apagar la olla y pruebe.
5.  Mantenga los vegetales cocidos y salsa en boles separados.

Instrucciones (berenjena)
1.  Pre-caliente el horno a 400F.
2. Rebane la berenjena al grueso de su preferencia y coloque las rebanadas en dos bandejas de hornear.  Aplique con una brocha aceite de oliva a todas las rebanadas, sazone con sal y pimienta.
3.  Rostice las rebanadas de 20-25 minutos hasta que queden doradas.
4.  Remueva del horno y reserve hasta que enfríen.

Instrucciones (crema de la ricotta)
1.  Drene el líquido de la ricotta con una tela para queso o con un colador.  Yo no drené mi ricotta y aún así funcionó pero la lasagna quedó un poquito mojada.
2.  En un bol mezcle el huevo con una pizca de sal, agregue el ricotta, ajo, parmesano y el baba ghanouj.

Instrucciones para hacer la lasagna 
1. Pre-caliente el horno a 375F
2.  En una bandeja de vidrio de 8 pulgadas, aplique aceite de oliva en el fondo y empiece a hacer las capas para la lasagna empezando con las rebanadas de berenjena, luego el queso provolone, luego los vegetales, salsa, mezcla de ricotta, y repita con la berenjenas, provolone y el resto de la salsa y termine la capa con una rebanada de provolone o parmesano.  Pimienta fresca y ponga en el horno de 15-20 minutos y los últimos 3-5 minutos suba la temperatura hasta 450F para gratinar.
3.  Sirva la lasagna con la albahaca fresca, bienvenido al cielo!

 ¡a comer!

I love vegetables… not really, but I eat them and also when mixed with other ingredients, they taste wonderfully.  I do eat some vegetables raw, but with the winter coming in, all I can think of is hot dishes.  I can’t imagine having a greens salad in the middle of winter, not happening.

These cauliflower fritters recipe might not be the healthiest to try unless you substitute the flour for whole wheat and you bake them instead of frying them.  But considering the rest of the ingredients, I think it should be okay to eat once in a while.

The cauliflower doesn’t have to be a boring vegetable.  If you like steamed cauliflower, or just roasted with a pinch of salt and pepper, that’s great news!  If you’re like me and need different ways to cook it in order to enjoy it, this recipe will come in handy.

If you don’t feel like making fritters, I really suggest getting nutritional yeast (because of its cheesy flavor), I do eat cheese but I try not to eat it too often, so if one day you’re tired and don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen, break the head of a cauliflower, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, bake the florets crispy and once ready, sprinkle the life out of them with nutritional yeast and maybe a touch of butter or coconut oil.

How do you like to cook your cauliflower?

Try other recipes on the Blog for

Panamanian Ceviche
Fried Green Plantains (tostones/ patacones)
Chicheme (Panamanian Corn Drink)

Recipe – Makes 10 Fritters (cooking time: 25-35 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 medium size head (around 450 gr)
1/3 cup AP Flour
2 Large Eggs
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tbs Cornmeal
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
5 tbs Nutritional Yeast
Fresh Cilantro, chopped (2 tbs)
Fresh Black Pepper

Instructions:
1.  Break down the cauliflower florets and cook it either by steaming or simmering in water for 5 minutes.
2.  Drain the water and while it’s still warm, chop the cauliflower in tiny pieces (or use a food processor)
3.  Mix the cauliflower with the spices, garlic and cilantro.
4.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and add to cauliflower mixture along with corn meal, flour and nutritional yeast.
5.  Heat up a pan with 2 tbs of oil (I used coconut oil) and fry 3-4 (depending on the size of your pan).
6.  Cook until golden grown on each side for a few minutes.

Notes: 
–  The fritters can be made up to one day ahead and then reheat them in the oven at 375F for a few minutes. (Topped with Provolone cheese gives it a different touch).
–  You can skip the nutritional yeast, but you might want to add other spices since the yeast adds a cheesy flavor to the fritters.
–  After frying the first batch, try one to check on seasoning, I eat a bit low in salt so you might want to adjust.

¡a comer!

Yo amo los vegetales… NO, pero los como y algunas veces mezclados con otros ingredientes, saben deliciosos.  Si como vegetales crudos algunas veces, pero con el invierno acercándose solo me llama la atención los platos calientes.  No me puedo imaginar comiendo una ensalada de hierbas en la mitad del invierno, no va a pasar.

Esta receta de tortitas de coliflor puede que no sea la más saludable al menos que reemplace en la receta la harina de todo propósito por una integral y en vez de freir, horner las tortitas.  Pero tomando en cuenta el resto de los ingredientes pienso que es una buena receta para cocinar de vez en cuando.

Existen tantas formas de cocinar el coliflor, no tiene que ser un vegetal aburrido.  Si a usted le gusta cocinarlo al vapor o solo rostizarlos con un poquito de sal y pimienta, es excelente noticia.  Si usted es como yo y necesita agregarle otros sabores para disfrutarle, esta receta le será útil.  Si no tiene ánimos de hacer las tortitas, le sugiero que compre levadura nutricional (por el sabor parecido al queso), ya que aunque yo como queso, no me gusta hacerlo muy de seguido.

Los días que usted llegue agotado y con pocas ganas de cocinar, recomiendo agarrar una cabeza de coliflor, quebrar las cabezuelas del coliflor y con un poco de aceite de oliva, sal y pimienta, hornearles hasta que queden doraditos.  Una vez los saque del horno, mezcle  los pedazos de coliflor en un bol con muchísima levadura nutritional y un toque mantequilla o aceite de coco, deliciosas!

¿Cómo le gusta cocinar el coliflor a usted?

Receta – Sirve 10 Tortitas (Tiempo de Cocción 25-35 minutos)

Ingredientes:
1 cabeza mediana de coliflor (alrededor de 450 gr)
1/3 taza de Harina de Todo Propósito
2 huevos largos
2 dientes de ajo machacados
4 cda harina de maíz
1/2 cdta de Especia de chili
1 1/2 cdta de Sal
5 cda de Levadura Nutricional
2cda de Cilantro fresco picadito
Pimienta Negra Fresca al gusto

Instrucciones:
1.  Quiebre la cabeza de coliflor en pedazos y cocine al vapor o ponga a hervir por 5 minutos.
2.  Escurrir el líquido y mientras esté caliente, pique el coliflor con un cuchillo en pedazos pequeños o utilice un procesador de comida.
3.  En un bol, combine el coliflor con las especias, el ajo y el cilantro.
4.  En otro bol, bata los huevos y agregue a la mezcla del coliflor con las harinas y la levadura.
5.  Caliente una sartén con 2 cucharadas de aceite (yo utilicé de coco) y fría 3-4 al mismo tiempo, dependiendo del tamaño de su sartén.
6.  Cocine ambos lados por varios minutos hasta que queden doradas las tortitas.

Notas: 
–  Las tortitas pueden hacerse con un día de anticipación y luego recalentar en el horno a 375F por unos minutos.  Si se gratinan con queso provolone también le da un toque diferente delicioso.
–  Puede eliminar la levadura nutricional de la receta, pero tendrá que agregar otras especias ya que la levadura agrega un sabor a queso que se perderá si se elimina de la receta.
–  Luego de freir el primer grupo de tortitas, pruebe una para verificar el sazón.  Yo como bajo en sal así que puede que usted necesite ajustar la cantidad de sal en esta receta.

¡a comer!

There are so many wonderful vegan/vegetarian restaurants in this area that I’ve been to with non vegetarian friends that they have loved such as (Loving Hut, Sticky Fingers, Everlasting Cafe, etc), but this post is not about vegan/vegetarian restaurants but about places that offer delicious meatless options and non-vegetarian ones as well.

The idea for this post came up from looking at restaurant options for me and my husband, heâ€s vegetarian and Iâ€m not. It is fairly easy to find vegetarian options at restaurants but most of the time the options are all about cheese and/or eggs. Thatâ€s the reason why you wonâ€t see a pizzeria on this list.

Iâ€m not sure how the vegetarian options were 20 years ago, but nowadays there are so many, and with great food. There still are places out there that when they offer a vegetarian dish or two, they are usually boring salads or stir-fries. This is not the case with the restaurants Iâ€m sharing on this list, their menus offer well thought options for vegetarians, and of course the meat dishes are also unbelievable delicious.

  

1. Bangkok Golden (Seven Corners – Falls Church, VA)

Since the first time I tried this restaurant (click here to read about my first visit!), I fell in love with Laotian food. The people that work there are so wonderful, including the owners Chef Seng and her husband Boun. Some time ago, I would go so often to this restaurant that at some point I even ended up working with Chef Seng managing her online community and social media channels. I havenâ€t worked with them for months now but I still go for my weekly Laotian dinner on Saturday nights!

On the vegetarian side, there are tofu curries, noodle dishes, fried rices, Lao salads, and the Mieng Muang Luang which is one of my personal favorites a delicious ‘Savory grounded rice paste with lemongrass, ginger, tomato, chili and peanutsâ€, wrap it in lettuce and go to heaven! On the meat side I always go with the Pork Neck or the Steamed fish, both with a side of sticky rice and Mango Salad (which you can have vegetarian or with Shrimps). This place even offers a Vegan Tasting Menu on request, itâ€s totally worthy even if youâ€re not vegetarian, I can promise that you will love it!

2. Busboys and Poets (2 locations in DC, Shirlington, VA & Hyatsville, MD)

The first time I tried Busboys and Poets I was actually only eating vegan food and I was very excited because this place has so many veg friendly options, I tried the vegan quesadillas and vegan nachos. Another time I tried the Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwich (off the hook!) and their brunch options are also so delicious with veg bacon and sausage, so yes, it is very ‘flexitarian” ha! (How do you like that for labels?).

For omnivores I really suggest the Fried Chicken with mashed Potatoes and collard greens, any of their sandwiches or pasta dishes like the shrimp-chorizo Chicken pasta I hope to try next. Ask for their vegan desserts, they always have at least two and that include their cookies and brownies that I highly recommend with a soy cappuccino.

PS. Thanks for pictures Melissa DePaulis!

3. Ted’s Bulletin (Capitol Hill – Eastern Market)

Tedâ€s is an easy place for vegetarians, Iâ€m not sure for vegans as the dishes we have tried had dairy in them. I would say that from the five restaurants here, this is the least vegetarian friendly, but they have a veggie burger that makes up for it. I’ve tried many vegetarian burgers and if you want to feel that sort of savory-crumbling burger that resembles a meat patty, this is the one. The boozie shakes are delicious (seriously good) but they arenâ€t vegan friendly and I really hope maybe in the future they can offer at least one option with soy or almond milk, (there is just so much dairy my belly can handle!).

Iâ€ve tried their Cobb Salad with chicken strips (this dish is so big I believe it serves two people), it was so good I even smiled when I had it, and yes, do ask for the avocado dressing, it added the perfect touch to an already delicious salad. My good friend the Cake Lady from operation:eatery ( (which I thank for taking me to this place for the first time), highly recommends the bacon and blue cheese brussels sprouts.

4.  Astor’s Mediterranean (Arlington, VA and Adam’s Morgan)

No shame to admit that I go to Astorâ€s at least once a week, if only for the lentil soup and a side of that noodle-rice. Yes Iâ€m the mayor on Foursquare and the employees already usually know what Iâ€m about to order, but as often as I go, I never get bored of a good falafel platter and their lentil soup or spicy chick peas. They offer at least two vegetarian sandwich options and most of their appetizers are even vegan. Iâ€m not a big fan of their vegan pizza but I’ve seen plenty of folks ordering it, so it is pretty popular. Iâ€m not sure if their luscious rice pudding is vegan since it is made with coconut milk, so youâ€d have to double check.

For meat dishes I recommend prime steak and their roasted chicken, both with spicy chickpeas, rice and Egyptian salad are one of my favorite dishes when Iâ€m very hungry, I mean it, both dishes are super filling. I’ve tried their salmon and I wasnâ€t too thrilled and Iâ€ve heard mixed reviews on the Lamb Shank which I’ve thought of giving it a try but itâ€s so big that it scares me away!

Regardless of being a vegetarian or an omnivore, you will most likely end up ordering a side of their hummus and the warm pita bread.

5.  Casa Oaxaca (Adams Morgan)

You know that if there is guacamole and beans in a menu, you will find several veg options to enjoy. The Rellenitos de Platano Macho and the their tacos will keep you coming back to this place. If that isn’t enough then the Churros con Cajeta and the flan will do! They have a special Vegan menu available that I couldnâ€t find online, but if I find a link Iâ€ll update this post.

Where to start with the non veg dishes, the ones that Iâ€ve tried are splendid, and Joahna, their general manager, was kind enough to share this Chilaquiles picture with me and now I know what Iâ€ll try the next time I visit Casa Oaxaca and of course all the things Mole!

I never forget last year when I was working in the organization for a TEDx in Adams Morgan, how we needed to find a place to celebrate afterwards. At the last minute I got an awesome sponsorship by Google DC (Thanks Corrie!) and we didn’t have much time left to find a place for the afterwards party. Thatâ€s when I approached Chef Alfio Blangiardo of Casa Oaxaca on Facebook and as soon as he saw my message he told me what to do and contacted Joahna, and she worked all the perks with me. Iâ€m very thankful for their quick response, lovely food and amazing customer experience throughout our party.

—

The list ends here and there are still so many places I’m sure are wonderful for vegetarian and omnivore couples, so if you have any that you’d like me to review, let me know in the comments and I’ll make sure to add it to my ‘Places To Eat’ List!

¡a comer!

Baked Stuffed Bell Peppers / Pimentones Rellenos Gratinados

Ingredients / Ingredientes
2 Bell Peppers / 2 Pimentones
1 cup of cooked rice and/or noodles / 1 taza de arroz  y/o de fideos cocidos
chopped garlic (3 cloves) / 3 dientes de ajos picado
1/2 pack of tempeh / 1/2 paquete de tempeh
1 tbs of soy sauce / 1 cda de salsa de soja
1 pack of button mushrooms / 1 paquete de champiñones frescos
2 tbs of tomato paste / 2 cdas de pasta de tomate
1 pack of Port Salut cheese or Vegan Daiya Jack / 1 bloque de queso Port Salut o de un Queso Vegano
Coconut or Olive Oil / Aceite de Coco o de Oliva
Chopped Cilantro to taste / Cilantro picado al gusto
Salt, pepper, paprika and cumin / Sal, pimienta, paprika y comino

Bell Peppers / Pimentones

Directions / Instrucciones
Pre-Heat the oven at 425F – Pre calentar el horno a 215C
Follow the photos for the rest of the directions / Siga las imágenes para el resto de las instrucciones

NOTE / NOTA
Be generous with the salt, remember that the peppers are sweet / Sea generoso con la sal, recuerde que los pimentones son dulces
Feel free to bake the peppers with the tops on during the first 10 minutes / Puedes hornear los pimentones con las tapas durante los primeros 10 minutos
Try with provolone or smoked gouda for a different twist / Pruebe con queso provolone o gouda ahumado para darle otro toque

¡a comer!

Slice the top of the peppers and put aside / Rebane la parte de arriba de los primentones y reserve

Scoop our the seeds out or use a pairing knife to clean the inside of the peppers /
Utilice un cuchillo o cuchara y remueva las semillas y limpie los pimentones 

Chop 3 garlic cloves / Picar 3 dientes de ajo

Fresh Button Mushrooms / Champiñones frescos

Slice the mushrooms in 4 pieces / Rebane los champiñones en 4 partes

 Tempeh Package / Paquete de Tempeh

Slice half of the tempeh (save the other half in the fridge) /
Rebane el tempeh por la mitad (guarde el resto en el refrigerador)

Break the tempeh in crumbles, you might need the knife to chop some pieces /
Desmorone el tempeh en pedacitos, para los pedazos difíciles utilice un cuchillo y rebane

Sautee the Tempeh with the coconut or olive oil until it caramelizes and then the garlic, green onions, salt, tomato paste and seasonings/
Caramelizar el tempeh con aceite de coco o de oliva, agregue el ajo picado, cebollina, sal y pasta de tomate con las especias 

Add water, 2 tablespoons at a time and taste, make sure it’s syrupy but not too dry or too much liquid / 
Agregue agua, de 2 cucharadas en cucharadas, asegúrese que no quede muy seco y aguado, buscando una textura de sirope

 Slice 6 thin strips of cheese per pepper / Corte 6 tiras delgadas de queso por pimentón

Cooked Rice and Noodles / Arroz y Fideos cocidos

First layer with the tempeh in tomato sauce / La primera capa es con el tempeh guisado

The second layer is with the rice and noodles, top it with cheese and repeat until you reach the top /
La segunda luego el arroz con los fideos y encima el queso y repita hasta que llegue hasta la parte de arriba

I like wrapping my glass mold in foil, use non stick spray and place the peppers, bake in the oven 15-20 minutes! /
Me gusta poner papel de aluminio en el molde para hornear, un poquito de aceite o de spray antiadherent y a hornear los pimentones de 15-20 minutos

I honestly thought people wouldn’t care to read about my vegan adventures, recipes and experiences, since most of the folks in my circles are food enthusiasts, bacon lovers haha! In fact, I used to be one, and being honest I always preferred salami and prosciutto over bacon. Almost nine months since the last time I cooked any animal and going great so far!

There are so many things I want to share on my blog, hopefully I’ll pick up where I left, and I get to do more working and blogging and less working inside my head!

First thing I want to do is ask everyone who can to support Vegtoons animated series, “an entertaining, educational initiative designed specifically with omnivores in mind. In a light-hearted, sympathetic way, the show will help to raise awareness for living more compassionately and consciously.”

We have to start the conversation, I think in general even if you and/or your kids are not vegetarians/vegans this is a fantastic way to get them involved in the reality of our food.

Take a quick peak:

Now you can support Vegtoons on kickstarter – Please remember every little counts!

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”

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 promised some friends I would share my regular day dishes recipe since I became vegetarian.  I have to admit it hasn’t been easy and more when I was talked into old school Atkins Diet, so you can imagine how of a challenge it has been this whole lifestyle change; then I get lucky and I find recipes I make weekly depending on the season, my cravings or my budget: Chili.

This one is for you my dear friend Ileana (for those who love makeup & anything beautiful read her blog she is awesome!)

Recipe:

1 cup cooked kidney beans

1 cup cooked black beans

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 diced Sweet Pepper (I used orange)

4 stewed tomatoes (1/2 can reg. size)

1 carrot, 1 medium yellow onions (slice)

1 small bunch of cilantro (slice)

1 small bunch of scallions (slice)

2 stalks of celery

Cumin, paprika, salt & pepper

Directions:

1.  Oil your pan and on high heat until it’s almost smoking then sautee your onions, once they are almost caramelized add the sliced carrots, peppers, then the celery.

2.  Season the veggies and taste, cook for 2 more minutes and add the quinoa then the tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes then add the beans, depending on how chunky you like your chili adjust with vegetable stock or water, add cilantro and scallions cook for 1 more minute taste as much as you can and serve!

NOTE:

I served this chili with corn tacos, a side of sauteed peppers and corn, guacamole (store bought I haven’t had luck with avocados these past couple of weeks so this was safer) and pico de gallo.

This recipe is so easy to adjust depending on the veggies you have, beans and spices!

No excuses for making a delicious, budget-friendly vegetarian meal folks!

¡a comer!

Sauteed Corn & Sweet Pepper w/ Garlic

Pico de Gallo

Chili w/ Veggies

Guacamole from Grocery Store

The things one can do with a Ricer â¥

The main reason I’d suffer if I went on zero carb diet: no yuca

A yuca memory of mine: Dad asks my mom “Yilla when are you cooking yuca?”(she did every few weeks).  

Mom is stirring a pot of Cow’s Foot soup, in a 98F kitchen, with no fan, no A/C, with my brother and sister playing Nintendo, and me reading a book.  She yells back (louder than was necessary) “Anytime, but you have to peel it…I’m not doing that!” –

Mom walks out of the kitchen to look for my dad.   He is already outside, getting in the car and yelling back at her: “Heat up 2 pots, I’m bringing back about 8 pounds!” 

She walks back in the kitchen, shakes her head, and smiles and continues to stir the soup.

The story above is a testament to the toughest part of preparing yuca, peeling it.  Yes, you can buy peeled yuca but only frozen (that’s the only way I’ve found it in DMV area, back in Panama you can get fresh peeled yuca in sealed packages).

Here is a good instructional video for peeling Yuca made by a Yuca exporting company out of Costa Rica (click here)

…Just Kidding! I would never expect anyone to use a Rambo machete/knife and slice yucca that way… but that was pretty badass!

Here is a video demonstrating a more regular method: (peeling action starts at 2:40 click here)

The video actually shows a different peeling method than the one I use, but the yuca available in this area has some sort of wax coating (thicker than what I’ve seen), so it’s safer to peel it like the man on the videp: slice off the skin with a knife.

Once you have peeled the yuca, cut into equal sized pieces. Fill up at pot with cold water  and place  the cut yuca inside. Bring everything to a boil, add salt to taste.

You can stuff the carimañolas with any savory filling. Traditional Panamanian carimañolas are stuffed with ground beef, but boohoo I’m vegetarian (not anymore, but I still make them vegetarian update: 10/07/2013) now so, yes, I will make something different and delicious (of course purists will say, it’s not called carimañola anymore! But, guess what…? I don’t care!!!) **smiles lightly and walks back to the kitchen’s sink to wash her hands, eyes still locked on the camera** (yes i’m pretending I’m filming…OK? hehe)

Enough babbling, here is the recipe:

Vegetarian Carimañolas (yuca empanadas)

Yields: 20 carimañolas

4-5 lbs of yuca (Protip: Always buy more than the recipe calls for. The yuca is not always good underneath the waxy peel).

Tip: You can substitute non-stick spray or just flour instead of oil so the carimañolas don’t stick. 

Filling

(Make sure your filling has cooled off before you even start boiling the yuca, this makes the empanadas easier to fill)

—

Instructions
1.  Heat up a pan with 1 tbs of oil (until hot, near its smoke point)
2.  Saute all the veggies, add the garlic, seasonings, mushroom, crushed tomatoes and the juice you got out of sauteing the mushrooms.
3.  Lower the heat to simmer, add ketchup and soy sauce, taste. If you want to add some heat, go ahead and go wild with sriracha, chillies, tabasco, etc.
4.  Cool off before cooking the yuca.

1. Boil the yucca until it almost breaks apart.  Strain and remove the hard root in the middle of each yuca. Some roots will fall but some will still be stuck on the yuca. Put aside the hard pieces and save them to fry later on since you won’t be able to mash them properly.
2. While piping hot, pass the boiled yuca through a ricer.
3. Have your bowls ready with filling, grated cheese & oil, and a flat oiled plate or cookie sheet to place the carimañolas once you shape them.
4. Oil your hands a bit and grab about 2 tbs of the mashed yuca, place it in your palm and make a rectangular shaped ball. Push the middle in a bit and add 2 tps of the filling with some cheese on top. With your fingers push the filling in and close back the ball.  If it becomes difficult to seal, you can add extra mashed yuca to close them completely.
5. Keep prepared carimañolas in the fridge until you are ready to fry them. Good news if they didn’t seal so well on your first try, you can still enjoy them: just saute them on butter! (Doesnâ€t that make everything better?) This way they won’t split open in the middle of frying.  Besides, I just like adding fat to this already fatty deliciousness.

 

Cilantro-Cheesy Yuca Balls

NOTES:
–  I like to make a double batch of the filling or fry an egg, and serve these carimañolas with a side of fruit and queso fresco for breakfast.
–  If you have leftover boiled yuca, it keeps fora few days in the fridge. Same deal with the carimañolas, many people freeze them and just fry as needed.
–  If you have leftover mashed yuca and don’t feel like making any more carimañolas, just add some cheese and chopped cilantro like I did on that pic with the balls, and fry them also…breading them would work well too… carimañolas schnitzel!!!! OK, I have to chill out now… Just cook with yuca! Deal?!

Rest of the pictures on FB click here 

¡a comer!