Monthly Archives: June 2012

Pupusas with Pickled Vegetables

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Several years ago I was traveling in Central America and was introduced to pupusas.  I think it’s a traditional El Salvadoran food, but i had it in a couple other countries.  I had it served different ways; plain, with beans one time, and pickled vegetables most of the time.  It was so simple and very satisfying.

I stumbled on a photo of myself eating one, which is what reminded me to try them out.  After looking up a basic Recipe, I realized they were easy, quick, and could be served so many ways.  I chose to fill mine beans and corn, but you could do cheese, meat, vegetables, a combination of those; really anything as long as it’s not very liquidy (not a word??).  You get the idea ;-)

For the dough  you need:

  • 3 cups Masa Harina
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the filling I used:
  • 1 can of organic black beans drained combined with 1/2 can organic corn, drained.  I also diced up some vegan almond cheese.  Fill with whatever you like, this was what I had on hand.
For the pickled vegetable you need:
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded,
  • 3 carrots, shredded
  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced thinly
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
For the pickled vegetables:  Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl, set aside.  In a saucepan, pour in vinegar, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil.  Pour over vegetables.  Store in a large glass container (I used a couple mason jars).  Let stand for at least 24 hours.
For the dough:  Combine the water, masa harina, salt, and water.  Set aside and let sit for about 20 minutes.  Prepare fillings.  Back to the dough. Start with a couple of tablespoons of cold water and combine until dough is soft, but not sticky.
To prepare Pupusas:  pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl.  Dab some oil onto your palms (re-oil to keep hand well greased).  Roll a few tablespoons of dough into a ball.  Flatten in your palms to about 1/4 inch.  Spoon filling into center.  Fold sides of disk up and pinch at top (doesn’t have to be tightly sealed).  Flatten again in palms.  Repeat with remainder.  Oil and warm a large skillet to medium heat.  Cook pupusas for about 4 minutes on each side.  serve with pickled vegetables on top.
Enjoy!!

Filling in disk

Folded back up

Flattened again

Topped with leftover filling

If filled with the right things, should be a pretty healthy meal.  Masa is ground corn, nothing super processed; it’s natural.  It is a healthier alternative to processed flour tortillas and other similar foods.   This is also a good meal to load up with veggies.  Oh and make sure your masa harina is from non GMO corn ;-)
P.s. I would have included the inspirational picture >>me eating a pupusa<< but it’s pretty scary.  My natural wavy hair and the Central American humidity were having a pretty epic battle.  Should have rocked the top bun.  Lesson learned…

Snaps! Plus wine tour recap

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I canNOT believe we are almost at the end of June…seriously, how did that happen?  Work and play have been keeping me so busy, in the best way.

A few of the highlights from the last couple weeks were a camping trip to Lake Isabella in the Kern River Valley, about 2 hours northeast of LA, seeing my two favorite baseball teams play each other twice, Angels and Giants woo woo, and lastly, a belated birthday trip for Erik to Paso Robles, CA for some wine tasting!!

My girl, fellow Giants fan

Nice seats!

My love!

Wine tasting is one of my favorite things to do.  I am so lucky to live in a state that has some of the best wineries in the world, along with some up and coming regions.  It was my first time tasting in Paso Robles, and before last weekend I had only driven through the area.  The weather was GORGEOUS, warm with clear blue skies.  I booked our tour through Hop On the Wine Line, and if you are going tasting in PR or Santa Barbara, I highly recommend them.   Since we had never been there, we let the driver recommend our stops based on our likes.  First stop was Zenaida, fun staff, great selection, and one of the oldest wineries in the region.  Next was Dark Star, my favorite.  Family owned and run, lots of red, nothing too bold, but very flavorful.  Next door is their sons winery, Brian Benson Cellars, young and edgy; it was a fun stop.  We also visited Four Vines, kind of like biker bar meets wine, pretty cool.  Lastly they took us to Veris Cellars, another favorite.  With the tasting (free tasting I might add), comes a bucket of golf balls.  There is a driving range above the vineyards.  It was absolutely beautiful and so fun getting a few balls; totally made Erik’s day.

Lunch Stop

So if you are up for a weekend getaway or maybe want to switch up the Napa, Sonoma, Russian River area, I highly recommend taking a trip to Paso Robles.  It’s also way more laid back and less expensive than its northern areas, but produces primarily reds; sorry white fans.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer too!!

xo

Avocado Fries

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Wowzer!  It has been busy busy in my hood!! I have hadly even had time to think about posting.  A camping trip, wine tasting trip, and too many weeknight plans have been keeping me a little strapped for free time.  Things are winding down now, leaving me more time to come up with some fun and yummy posts!

I was looking through Sunset magazine and saw this recipe.  Since I’m not one for fried foods, I decided baked avocado fries would be a much better idea.  I thought I had done almost everything with avocados…the standard guacamole, plain, salted, hair masks, etc, but these “fries” might be one of my new favorite ways to enjoy one of faaaavorite foods.  Rich, creamy, and crunchy…perfection!

All you need is:

  • 2 ripe avocados – halved then sliced into wedges
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • a few pinches of salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, or any non-dairy milk
  • 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon melted vegan “butter” – I use Earth Balance
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

As a dip, I made a spicy vegan garlic aioli.  It’s super easy, but use anything you like, or enjoy them plain!

For the aioli, you need:

  • 3/4 cup vegeniase – I use the soy free version from Follow Your Heart.
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha – Add less or more, depending on how spicy you like it!

Assembly Line

1.  Mix all the ingredients for spicy aioli dip in bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.

2.  Preheat oven to 450 F.  Grease a wire rack oven baking sheet.  If you don’t have a wire rack, foil the baking sheet, grease, and flip slices halfway through baking.

3.  In 3 small separate bowls, prepare assembly line for “fries”.  In bowl one, mix flour with a few salt and pepper pinches.  In bowl two, pour the non-dairy milk.  In bowl three, combine bread crumbs, butter, salt, paprika, and pepper.

4.  One by one, dip avocado slices in flour, dust off excess.  Then dip in milk.  Then roll in bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat.  It will get messy, but it’s fun!!  Bake in oven for 20 minutes.  Remove, cool for about 5 minutes and serve with yummy dip.  Enjoy!

After Sun Soothing Spary

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Well, it’s official, June Gloom is here in So Cal, and apparently not going anywhere anytime soon.  Silly May, teasing us with “summer” weather.  No matter, I’m bailing the city for the next few days and heading a bit north for some camping at the lake.

Since I REALLY enjoy being in the sun, it’s important to keep my skin well protected.  This includes time in the sun (duh) and after.  Gotta keep that skin well moisturized!!  I searched through some of my natural beauty books and came up with an awesome after sun spray!!  It’s so easy to make, feels great, and smells so warm and yummy.  Enjoy!!

Aloe Vera After Sun Spray:

  • 1 cup aloe vera juice
  • 20 drops lavender essential oil
  • 10 drop rosemary essential oil
  • 1 spray bottle

Just combine all the ingredients in a (glass) spray bottle, shake vigorously, and use as needed.  Store in the refrigerator.  Should last several months.

Happy Friday, enjoy some tunes!  Months later, still can’t get enough of her voice :-)

Juicy Juicing Recipes

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Juice Juice Juice, how many posts can I write about juicing?  I thought they might get a little boring buuuut in the past few weeks alone I have had several friends and family mention their latest obsession:  JUICING!!!!  It is part of my daily routine and I am so happy to see people starting to incorporate it into their lives as well.  That being said, I’ll be posting some of my juice recipes more often, thankyouverymuch!

Blood and Liver Helper – 4 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 1 small beet, 2 small apples, 1 small garlic clove

Green Mixer – 2 large kale leaves, a handful of broccoli, several parsley sprigs, 1 cucumber, 2 carrots, 1 apple, 1 lemon

3 large kale leaves, 2 apples, several parsley sprigs, 3 celery sticks, 1 cucumber

Blood cleanser – 4 carrots, 2 apples, 4 celery, small ginger nug, 1/2 cucumber

Garlic Cilantro Hummus

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Well it’s been a while since I did a good recipe post.  I thought I had a healthier, vegan zucchini bread recipe, but it turned out to be an epic fail.  Like bread still in tin, in trash fail.  I don’t even want to deal with it.  Oh well.  It happens.  Sometimes in my quest to make things healthier and/or vegan,  things just don’t work out.  But I’m not giving up!! I’ll get that recipe :-)

After that mess, I didn’t feel much like cooking.  I had some fresh picked cilantro I needed to use, so I decided on an easy hummus with some fresh chopped veggies.  Easy snack, or in my case, dinner.

Just a few ingredients!

Garlic Cilantro Hummus:

All you need is:

  • 1 can organic Garbanzo beans, half drained
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Tahini
  • Juice from 1 large lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Tossed all together in a food processor

Just toss the garlic and cilantro in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.  Toss in the rest of the ingredients, and pulse again, but not the olive oil.  Feed the oil through the top feeder.  Start with 1 TBSP and add more as needed.

Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips, or as a spread for a wrap or sandwich; whatever you like…Enjoy!

Snaps!

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This week has been crazy busy, which is my excuse for the lack of posts.  I spent the past weekend plus a couple of days in Detroit for work.  It was a LOT of work, but well worth it.  The people out there are so kind, and it was great getting to talk to people about our products and the industry.  And even though we were putting in some long hours, we were still able to enjoy some cocktails with industry people and a Detroit Lions/NY Yankees game!!  >>I’m a huge baseball fan, so this was my highlight<<

I spent the last couple days recovering, catching up at work,and re-centering myself >>read: lots of yoga<<

Here are some snaps from the trip and the past week, enjoy!

New summer mani…kind of makes me want some Recess Pieces :-)

Much deserved bottle of wine after a show. Shared with a couple of friends, heaven

View from my seats at the game. Not too shabby!

Had to stay for fireworks after the game. So cool!!

cute box of water from Native Foods

 

And finally, since I talk about juicing a lot, I thought I should share some of my daily recipes.  This was 4 carrots, an apple, 4 stocks of celery, and a lemon.  Tastes great in the warm afternoon!

Do you juice?  What are some other good recipes?