Dulce de Lechosa ~ Papaya in Syrup

1/4 cup baking powder
1/2 a green papaya peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick

Dissolve baking powder in 5 cups water in a large non-reactive bowl. Add papaya and soak it for at least 15 minutes. Drain the fruit and rinse it well under cold running water. Cook the papaya with the sugar in a large pot, covered, over medium-high heat. stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes until he papaya turns clear. Do not add water. The papaya will cook in its own juice. Reduce the heat to very low, add the vanilla extract and cinnamon stick, and simmer the papaya, uncovered, until the juice thickens into a thin syrup, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon stick and allow the papaya to cool. Serve it  chilled with some Queso Fresco and crackers. Store any leftover papaya in syrup in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator.

What I'm Working With

Nesco Pro Dehydrator

Cuisinar Mini Processor

Oster Juicer

Aroma Citrus Juicer

GE Digital Hand Mixer

2 , 3 and 4.8 quart glass casserole dishes. Typical pots n pans. Blender. Coffee and spice grinder. Electric can opener ~ if the lights go out I'm out of luck. Electric wine cork...opener?! yea no worries if the lights go out here I own a FEW manual ones. AND I DO NOT OWN A MICROWAVE! It's only been about a month w/o and so far so good!

Curry Soup Surprise

 It's good...but help me make it better.

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons curry powder 

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 medium butternut squash 

2 sweet potatoes

1/2 sweet onion

2 apples

salt to taste 

pinch of back pepper

Cashew French Toast

The Savage recipe.

1 c. water
3/4 c. raw cashews
4 dates
1/2 t. salt
1 T whole-what flour
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
1/2 banana

Whiz in blender until smooth.
Pour into shallow bowl.
Dip slices of bread.
Toast in pan.
Top with fresh fruit.

White Bean Burgers

Makes 6 large burgers

1.5 cans of 19 oz cannellini beans

1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion 

3 gloves of garlic 

1/4 cup all purpose flour 

6 fresh sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 teaspoons of fresh parsley
1/8 tablespoon of salt
Dash of pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 loaves ciabatta bread

Non-stick cooking spray (olive oil)

4 tablespoons mayo 

1.5 teaspoon of chipotle salsa/puree  

White Bean Burgers

Open, rinse and drain cannelllini beans. Finely chop onion, garlic cloves, rosemary and parsley. In a large bowl mix in all above ingredients. Add flour and olive oil. With your hands (yes! works best ) mash/mush ingredient together till they are evenly spread in the mix. Coat baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray and spray a little on the face of the burgers before going into the oven. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes flipping them after 20 minutes. Throw Ciabatta bread in the oven for a few minutes to get it nice and warm/ toasty right before serving. Homemade fry's/ chips on the side. 

Chipotle Mayo 

4 tablespoons mayo 

1.5 teaspoon of Chipotle salsa/puree  

In a small bowl mix these two bad boys together. Add more Chipotle for more spice.

Moroccan Vegeable Stew

 This was another recipe from Good Housekeeping Family Vegetarian Cooking. I loved it! I happen to have some zucchinis around so I added those.

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into cubes

1 medium butter nut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can stewed tomatoes 

1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups of water

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped  

1 cup of couscous

1 cup vegetable broth

I added 

2 zucchinis, cut into cubes

Kills All Zoup

 Enough for 12 peps.

1 1/2 cup barley 

1 can pinto beans 

1 bunch of baby broccoli

2 small carrots

3 red potatoes

2 turnips

1/2 sweet onion

1 bunch of Brussels sprouts

1 can whole tomatoes

1 teaspoon black pepper 

salt to taste

2 ears of corn

2 cups of vegetable broth 

3 cups water

1 pack of vegetable soup mix

1 can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of dill

1 teaspoon of thyme

1/4 can chipotle pepper (start small, this stuff can easily over power your soup!)

Yaris Trail Mix

This is MY jam! I usually make a lot and then divided it up into 6 or so zip lock baggies. I encourage everyone to make their own trail mix. It's really simple! plus you can experiment with different nuts and berries and make your signature mix for cheaper than store bought.

Cranberries

Walnuts

Pumpkin seeds

unsalted Sunflower seeds

Semi sweet chocolate 

combined and keep chilled!

Roasted Poblano Peppers & Cold Green Bean Salad

 Roasted Poblano Peppers

6 Poblano peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 orange or green bell pepper

1 1/2 sweet onion 

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1 cup of vegetable broth or water 

salt to taste

A dash of black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive old

1 tablespoon of hemp oil

1 package of Colby jack cheese 

Cold Green Bean Salad 

Green beans 

3 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard  
2 tablespoon of Honey

2 1/2 tablespoons white vineger

4 tablespoons of olive oil 

salt to taste

Dash of black pepper

1/2 pack of cherry tomatoes

Spinach Potatoe Gratin

This Recipe came from Good Housekeeping Family Vegetarian Cooking a gift from my lovelies CassieMac and KornRolla. I made it 3 days ago and although it was good, I couldn't help but feel like it was missing something (or maybe a few things). SO I'm writing down for ya'll the original recipe and ALSO my twist on it.

    ORIGINAL RECIPE

1 tablespoon of butter 

3 large shallots

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

3 pounds all-purpose potatoes (7-9 medium potatoes)

4 ounces of Gruyere cheese (1 cup)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

    YARI'S MORE BADASS RECIPE

1 tablespoon of butter

3 large shallots

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach

Always salt to taste (some people like a lot of salt some don't! Always start with less then add more)

1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper

A little less than a teaspoon of nutmeg

3 pounds of all purpose potatoes (7-9 medium potatoes)

6 or 7 baby bella mushrooms 

1 1/2 cup of white sharp cheddar cheese ( Gruyere~ Expensive and way too mild for this luscious dish!)

1 cup of milk

3/4 cup of heavy cream 

1 tablespoon of cornstarch  

Spinach Drain-O

This soup was inspired by Alans aunt Jane. 

2 packs frozen spinach

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 an onion 

3/4 cup of barley

1 large carrot of 2 medium ones

1 can of white canelli beans

pinch of red pepper flakes 

1 box of vegetable broth (2 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cup of water 

salt to taste

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of pepper

1 table spoon of olive oil

Breakfast for little Champions!

I swear, if he could, my son would eat nothing but fruit and cheese! Pictured above are organic flax seed, whole grain mini waffles with some of his favorite fruit. So far, it has been a breakfast hit with the little one. He eats pretty healthy, and he usually sticks with the veggies, fruits, beans and grains. And of course MILK! I typically try to buy organic groceries for him, and so far it has been going good (he has only been sick once since he was born) GO ME!

Pictured above is my breakfast of champions. A simple BLT with what I like to call fakin' bacon; I'm a vegetarian and some Detox Yogi tea instead of the usual Café con leche. I've been using this new organic central market mayo and OMG it's amazing!!! 

 

3 bean salad and other shenanigans

If it isn't one thing, it's defiantly another. The husband was playing with our son on the carpet in his new Toy Story play tent when he got bit by a fire ant on the achilles tendon. Pulled the papasan back to find a marching line of fire ants. AWESOME... now that I had an excuse to take the munchkin to the park nearby while the husband put down ant traps, I was talking to my sister about her daily drama when I was approached by a fellow Boricua who was able to identify a fellow comrade by my Spanish. We exchanged digits and I look forward to making some tostones with her. Came home and whipped up this recipe due to it's easy prep, high protein content, low fat content, and plenty of fiber (and flavor!).

Ingredients:

1 can Organic Black Beans

1 can Organic Garbanzo Beans

1 can Organic Pinto Beans

1/3 chopped Sweet Onion

1/2  a bushel of FRESH Cilantro

Pinch of Black Pepper

2 juicy Lemons

2 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Mix all together in a bowl and voila!

Below is a pic of my preferred salt and olive oil brands.

And I'll leave you with five raging red jalapenos from my personal garden just because.

Detox Yogi Style

So even though I'm not a raging alcoholic, I think it's important to have a bi-annual liver kidney detox. I remember reading in the Malcolm X's biography that his mother would give him and his other siblings dandelion tea because it was: A. dirt cheap (it is a weed) and B. it has a lot of health benefits (see below). Not only is it good for you, but the taste is delicious. My current detox duration is 16 days, because that's how many bags come in a box (that's one a day for the mathematically challenged). Even if your not an avid tea drinker and think most herbal teas taste like dirt, this particular one has a slightly spiced yet refreshing taste that I think most, if not all people will enjoy upon first sip. The following blurb following the picture of the tea box comes from one of my favorite tea sites.

www.teabenefits.com

"Dandelion Tea's health benefits are slowly getting the attention of health enthusiasts the world over. The common dandelion is an exceptionally nutritious food. While many consider the dandelion to be an aesthetic nuisance to a well-balanced garden, its defenders swear to the efficacy of its health benefits.

Dandelion leaves and roots contain substantial levels of vitamins A,C,D and B complex as well as iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, manganese, copper, choline, calcium, boron and silicon. These elements are transferred to dandelion tea when the leaves and roots are infused in hot water.

The medicinal actions of dandelion tea seem to target the digestive and eliminative systems of the body. The dandelion leaf, for example, is an agent for stimulating the release of bile from the liver into the gallbladder, hence aiding in the digestion of fat.

The following are Dandelion Tea's more well-known health benefits:

• Dandelion Tea is an agent for keeping optimum liver, kidney and gallbladder functions.
• Dandelion Tea enhances detoxification by stimulating urination, as well as replacing the potassium lost to the increased volume of urine.
• Dandelion Tea is used to help in the health maintenance of those suffering from Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.
• Dandelion Tea can be used for treatment of such liver disorders as hepatitis and jaundice.
• Dandelion Tea can be used for purifying the blood and cleansing the system.
• Dandelion Tea can help in relieving digestive disorders such as constipation and diarrhea.
• Dandelion Tea has properties that can help cleanse and improve the skin."

Freestyle Stir-Fry

I woke up this morning with a mission: it was day 4 of waking up with a mission to be as productive as possible. Feeling great during the first half of the day, then Jesse and I took our afternoon nap. Woke up to that heavy smell of dog diarrhea...lovely. I honestly don't know how that happened, he usually whines when he needs to go out. Called the hubby at work to tell him to rent a wet-vac on his way home. Had to leave the hellhole, so I grabbed the little one, threw the dog out on the porch, and headed towards the Asian market (there are a bunch of penny rides for the kids there). Feeling somewhat discombobulated by the whole ordeal but determined to make the best of it, I grabbed some random veggies and headed back home to brave the stench and make some dinner. Alan did a stand up job cleaning the pad, and the stir fry wasn't half bad either! :o)

(BTW, this meal was made for under $15, and there was left over for lunch for the three of us too)

Ingredients: 
Rice Noodles  
1 pkg of Udon Noodles (wheat flour, my fav, after rice!)  
2-3 Carrots  
1 can of Baby Corn  
4 heads of Baby Bok Choy  
2 cups of snap peas  
1 head of broccoli  
3 cups of mung bean sprots  
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seed Oil  
2-3 Low Sodium Soy Sauce  
1/8 Teaspoon of Chili Garlic Sauce (add to taste, as it's very hot)  
1/3 Cup of your favorite Stir Fry Sauce

Ate it under a bed of white rice. Feel free to experiment, the veggie portions are not set in stone.  I usually stick with the carrots and broccoli because iron is absorbed better by the body when paired with Vitamin C, but everything else can be made however you like it. Enjoy and tell me what you think if you decide to make it!