Thursday, September 16, 2010

Crazy Corn



I needed to come up with a simple recipe to teach Danny how to grill. It was then when I remembered the good times I had in Guatemala City eating Crazy Corn. Vendors in the Central Park grill the corn in the cob and then add anything you want: Lemon, mayo, mustard, chilli, ketchup and top it off with cheese. They are AMAZING! To make mine low-fat, I substituted the mayo for sour cream.

Crazy Corn

4 Corn in the cob
Olive oil to drizzle
1 tbs sour cream
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp ketchup
½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat the grill at medium temperature.

Mix the sour cream, mustard, and ketchup in a small bowl and set aside.

Peel the corn and save some of the husk for serving.

Drizzle the corn with olive oil and grill for about 10-15 minutes on low to medium heat, rotating them to avoid burning.

Remove from the grill and brush the sour cream paste.

Sprinkle generously with cheese.

Enjoy!

Elotes Locos




Necesitaba una receta simple para ensenarle a Danny como usar el anafre. Fue entonces que recorde los buenos tiempos que disfrute en la Ciudad de Guatemala cuando encontre el Elotes Locos. Vendedores en el Parque Central azan el maiz y lo sasonan casi con cada ingrediente que se les pueda ocurrir: Limon, mayonesa, mostaza, chile, ketsup, y luego le agregan queso. Son DELICIOSOS! Para hacer esta receta baja en calorias, reemplaze la mayonesa por crema agria.


Elotes Locos

4 elotes
Aceite de oliva
1 cda crema agria
1 cdita de mostaza
1 cdita de ketsup
½ taza de queso parmesano o romano.

Precaliente el anafre a temperatura media.

Mezcle la crema agria, mostaza, y ketsup en un recipiente pequeno.

Pele el maiz y guarde una o dos hojas para servirlo.

Rocie el maiz con el aceite de oliva y azelo por unos 10 – 15 minutos a fuego bajo o medio rotandolo para que no se queme.

Pongalo en un plato y aplique la crema.

Agregue el queso generosamente.

Buen Provecho!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Watermelon Salad



The combination of onions and cheese is not appealing to me when it comes to watermelon salads. I’ve made my own salad using jicama root to make it lighter; raisins and watermelon for sweetness, mint for freshness, and Hawaiian vanilla for its subtle but sweet touch. Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad

1 small seedless watermelon
1 jicama root
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup pistachios
12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped
½ Hawaiian vanilla bean
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
4 Tbs olive oil
A pinch of salt

In a small-size bowl combine the vinegar, salt, chopped mint, and vanilla. Add the olive oil little by little while mixing with the whip to emulsify your dressing. Set aside.

Peel and dice the jicama root and the watermelon. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add raisins and pistachios to garnish.

Ensalada de Sandia



La combinacion de cebollas y queso no me apetece cuando se trata de ensaladas de sandia. Hice mi propia ensalada usando jicama para hacela mas suave; pasas y sandia para agregar dulzura, menta para frescura, y vainilla de Hawaii por su toque dulce y delicado. Buen provecho!

Ensalada de Sandia

1 sandia pequena sin semillas
1 jicama
1/3 taza de pasas
1/3 taza de pistachos
12 hojas frescas de menta picadas
½ vaina de vainilla de Hawaii
2 cucharadas de vinagre de cidra de manzana
4 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
Una pizca de sal

En un recipiente pequeno combine el vinegre, sal, menta, y vainilla. Agregue el aceite de oliva por poquitos mientra lo mezcla con el estribo para emulsificar el aderezo. Pongalo aparte.

Pele la jicama y la sandia y cortela en cuadritos. Agregue la vinagreta y mezclela con la ensalada. Agregue pasas y pistachos para decorar.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Salpicon - 5 Dishes with One Recipe



This is my mother's recipe. It is not only light, but low fat and healthy.

Salpicon – 5 dishes with one recipe

1 14 oz can beef
2 diced tomatoes
1/8 diced onion
¼ green bell pepper
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1/3 cup lemon juice
Ground cumin, salt, and pepper to taste

Drain the beef and shred it. Warm it up in a medium pan and season with cumin, salt, and pepper.

In a medium size bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Add the meat, lemon, juice, and parsley. Mix together and re-season if necessary. Cover and chill until serving time.

Variations:

1. Serve over rice.
2. Serve as appetizers with crackers.
3. For a lighter appetizer, serve it on top of sliced cucumbers.
4. Eat as lettuce wraps.
5. Use it as taco fillings.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Grilled Zucchini with Pesto Butter




Grilled Zucchini with Pesto Butter

2 zucchinis
2 yellow squash
1 tbs store-bought pesto
1 tbs melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Wash and slice the zucchinis and squash lengthwise.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil. Mix the melted butter with pesto and set aside.

Grill for about 5-7 minutes or until tender. Remove from the grill and brush them with pesto butter.

Can’t get any simpler than that! Enjoy! ;-)

Variations:

1. Add chilli flakes to the butter for an extra kick.
2. Sprinkle parmesan before serving.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Quinoa con Naranja, Cerezas, y Pistachos



Quinoa con Naranja, Cerezas, y Pistachos

1 taza quinoa
1 taza jugo de naranja
1/3 taza de miel de vainilla
1/3 taza cerezas deshidratadas
1/3 taza de pistachos
Hojas fresca de menta

Lleve a ebullicion el jugo de naranja y la miel. Agregue la quinoa y deje que hieva lento. Reduzca la temperatura a ebullicion y tape la olla. Quinoa se cocina casi en el mismo tiempo que el arroz blanco, unos 20 minutos o hasta que el jugo de naranja se evapore. Retirelo del fuego y guardelo en el refrigerador por unas 4 horas o por la noche.

Variaciones:

1. Como plato secundario, sirva la quinoa con las cerezas y los pistachos encima. Decore con las hojas de menta.
2. Como desayuno, mezcle las cerezas secas y los pistachos con la quinoa y agregue leche fria.

Buen provecho!

Orange Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Pistachios




Orange Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

1 cup quinoa
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vanilla honey
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup pistachios
Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Bring to a soft boil the orange juice and honey. Add the quinoa. Let it boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover it. Quinoa takes almost the same time to cook as white rice, about twenty minutes. Cook it until the orange juice is reduced. Remove from the heat and chill over night or for at least 4 hours.

Variations:

1. As a side dish, serve the quinoa with the dried cherries and pistachios on top. Garnish with mint leaves.
2. As breakfast, mix the dried cherries and pistachios with the quinoa and add cold milk.

Enjoy!