Alcachofas a la Calamat con Huevos

Alcachofas a la Calamat con Huevo

Este es un platillo excelente para el desayuno porque se sustituye el quequito ingles con las alcachofas. Si lo quiere hacer mas sano, puede omitir la salsa de mantequilla. A mi me encanta la simplicidad y la elegancia de este platillo!

4 alcachofas
1 limon
1 cda de harina
2 tazas de chicharos descongelados
6 cdas mantequilla bien fria
2 cdas de vino blanco de cocinar
2 hojas de albahaca
4 huevos
Agua
Sal y pimienta al gusto

Llene un recipiente grande con agua, disuelva la harina y agregue la mitad del jugo de limon. Esta mezcla se llama blanca. Corte el tallo de las alcachofas y las hojas. Remueva el corazon cuidadosa pero rapidamente y frotelo con la otra mitad del limon constantemente. Sumerja la alcachofa constamente en la blanca para evitar que se oxide facilmente. La alcachofa debe quedar con la forma de una canasta.

Transfiera la Blanca a una olla grande, agregue sal y llevela a ebullicion. Agregue las alcachofas y cocinelas por unos 20 minutos. No deben quedar masosas. Saquelas y pongalas aparte.

En una olla grande, lleve agua a ebullicion quiebre los huevos y cocinelos en el agua por unos diez minutos. Mientras los huevos se cocinan, pique la albahaca.

En una fridera no reactiva, caliente el vino blanco a temperature tibia. Agregue la mantequilla en cuadritos poco a poco moviendo la fridera para que se deshagan. Si la fridera esta muy caliente, la mantequilla se va a separar. Repita hasta que se hayan usado las 6 cucharadas. Agruegue la albahaca, los chicharos y envuelvalos en la salsa. Sasone con sal y pimienta.

Ponga los chicharos en las alcachofas y ponga el huevo cocido encima. Sasone el huevo con sal y pimienta. Hmmm! Que rico!

Buen provecho!

Artichokes Calamat with Poached Eggs

Artichokes Calamat with Poached Eggs

This is an excellent choice for breakfast as we substitute English muffins with artichokes. If you want to make this breakfast even more low-fat, omit the butter sauce. I love the simplicity yet the elegance of this dish!

4 artichokes
1 lemon
1 tbs flour
2 cups thawed out peas
6 tbs cold butter
2 tbs cooking white wine
2 basil leaves
4 eggs
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill out a large bowl with water, dissolve the flour in it and add the juice of half a lemon. This mixture is called a blanc. Cut the artichokes stem and leaves. Remove the heart very quickly but carefully and submerge the artichoke in the blanc constantly to prevent browning as much as possible. Rub the artichoke with the other half of the lemon constantly as well. The artichoke should look like a little cup once it is ready.

Transfer the blanc to a large pot, add a little salt and simmer the artichokes for about 20 minutes. They should not be mushy. Remove and set aside.

In a large pan, bring water to a simmer and poach the eggs for about 10 minutes. While eggs are cooking, chop the basil leaves.

In a small, non-reactive pan, add the wine and warm it up. Add cold butter and swirl it around the pan. If the pan is too hot, the butter will break. Keep adding cold butter until the 6 tbs have been used. Add chopped basil and season with salt and pepper.

Add peas and coat them with the butter. Add peas to the artichoke heart and top it with the poached egg. Season egg with salt and pepper. Hmm! Yum!

Bon Apetito!

Panqueques de Avena con Salsa de Durazno y Crema de Vainilla

Panqueques de Avena con Salsa de Melocoton y Crema de Vainilla

Una amiga me enseno esta receta y desde entonces mi familia es adicta a ella. Hice unos cambios a la receta original para hacerla mas liviana y mas apropiada para personas con diabetes. Encontrara las diferencias de la receta original en parentesis.

Puede hacer las salsas el dia anterior y tenerlas listas para servir.

Crème Anglaise (Crema de Vainilla)

½ taza de leche
3 yemas de huevo
2 cucharadas de azucar o jarabe de agave
1/8 cdita extracto puro de vainilla de Madagascar

Agua con hielo

Combine la leche y la vainilla en una olla pequena y hiervala. Mezcle las yemas con la azucar o el jarabe de agave en un recipiente de acero inoxidable o en una taza medidora. Agregue la leche hervida a las yemas poco a poco (esta tecnica ayuda a no coagular el huevo) Mueva la mezcla constantemente para incorporar aire.

Regrese la mezcla a la olla y cocine hasta que alcance una temperatura de unos 170 grados Fahrenheito hasta que empiece a espesar. No la hierva nuevamente. Transfierala a un recipiente con agua y hielo y mueva la mezcla por unos 5 minutos para enfriarla mas rapidamente. Cuando ya este a temperatura al tiempo, pasela por un colador y pongala en el refrigerador. No deje la salsa sin refrigerar por mas de 2 horas.

Pure de Melocoton (o Durazno)

2 melocotones pelados, con la semilla removida, y cortados en cuadros
1 taza de agua
1/4 taza azucar o jarabe de agave
1/8 cdita de jugo de limon

Mezcle todos los ingredientes y cocine los melocotones hasta que esten suaves (unos 15 minutos) a temperatura media.
Licuelos hasta que se forme un pure y cuele la salsa.
Dejela enfriar y guardela en el refrigerador.

Panqueques de Avena

½ taza de harina integral
½ taza de harina blanca (La receta original pide 2 tazas)
1 taza de avena
1 ½ cdita polvo de hornear
1/8 cdita vainilla molida de Madagascar
½ taza leche en polvo
2 cdas margarina o mantequilla (la receta original pide 1 taza)
1 taza de ojuela de avena regular o instantanea (la receta original pide 3 tazas)
1/8 cdita sal (la receta original pida 1 ½ cdita)

2 claras de huevo batidas a pico duro (la receta original pide 1 huevo entero)
¾ taza de agua
5 cdas de jarabe de agave

Nota:
La receta original pide 1.2 taza de azucar y 1 taza de azucar morena que han sido omitidas en esta receta.

Mezcle los primeros 9 ingredientes. Mezcle el jarabe de agave con el agua y agreguelo a a los ingredientes secos. Incorpore las claras de huevo y cocine por dos minutos el primer lado y 1 minuto el segundo lado de los panqueques en una plancha a 250 F grados. Asegurese que esten dorados de ambos lados antes de retirar de la plancha. Sirvalos con las salsas inmediatamente.

Buen provecho!

Oat Pancakes with Peach Sauce and Creme Anglaise

Oatmeal Pancakes with Peach Sauce and Crème Anglaise

A friend of mine gave me this recipe and my family is addicted to it ever since. I’ve made changes from the original recipe to make it lighter and more diabetic friendly. I’ll write down what the original recipe calls for in parenthesis for your reference.

You can make the sauces a day ahead and have them ready for service time.

Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Cream)

½ cup milk
3 egg yolks
2 tbs agave syrup
1/8 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract

Ice water

Combine milk and vanilla in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Mix the egg yolks with the agave syrup in a stainless steal bowl or in a measuring cup. Add boiling milk to the egg yolks little by little (this is called tempering) while whisking to incorporate air so the eggs won’t curdle.

Return the mixture to medium heat and cook until it reaches 170 F or until it starts to thicken. Do not boil. Transfer the mixture to ice water and stir constantly for the first 5 minutes to let it cool faster. When it is cool, strain it and keep it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Do not leave without refrigeration for more than 2 hours.

Peach Puree

2 peaches peeled, seed removed, and diced
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar or agave syrup
1/8 tsp lemon juice

Cook peaches in a small sauce pan until very tender (about 15 minutes) at medium heat.
Blend them until pureed and strain them.
Let the puree cool and keep it in the refrigerator.

Oatmeal Pancakes

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all purpose flour (original recipe calls for 2 cups)
1 cup oat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp Madagascar Ground Vanilla
½ cup nonfat dry milk
2 tbs butter (original recipe calls for 1 cup)
1 cup oats regular or quick (original recipe calls for 3 cups)
1/8 tsp salt (original recipe calls for 1 ½ tsp)

2 eggs whites beaten to hard peaks (original recipe calls for 1 whole egg)
¾ cup water
5 tbs agave syrup

Note:
The original recipe called for ½ cup sugar and 1 cup brown sugar that I have omitted.

Mix the first 9 ingredients. Mix the agave syrup with the water and add it to the dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites and cook 2 minutes one side and 1 minute the other side in a 250 F griddle. Both sides need to be golden brown.

Serve warm with chilled sauces.

Enjoy!

Thai Mussels with Coconut Red Curry Sauce

Thai Mussels with Coconut Red Curry Sauce
Courtesy of Jeremy MacVeigh

1 14 oz coconut milk
2 tbs oz lime juice
2 tbs red curry paste (recipe below)
1 tbs peeled, minced ginger
1 tbs Tahi Fish Sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
3 lbs clean mussels
½ cup chopped cilantro
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Red Curry Paste

2 tbs coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
4 tbs dried red Thai Chiles
8 tbs lemongrass stalks, chopped (weigh after removing the dead outer blades, top 1/3, and root end)
1/4 cup cilantro stems
4 tbs chopped ginger
1 tbs lime leaves
1 tbs salt
4 tbs shallots, minced
1 tbs garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp shrimp paste

To prepare the curry paste:

In a dry sauté pan set over a medium-low flame, toaste the coriander, cumin, and black peppercorns (while moving the pan around to prevent them from burning) until the spices become noticeably more fragrant and darken slightly.

Place the toasted spices in a spice grinder (or a coffee grinder), along with the dried chiles, and grind to a powder; set the powder aside.

Using a large mortar and pestle, crush the lemongrass, cilantro roots, ginger, and lime leaves together to form a rough paste.

Add the salt to the mortar, and continue grinding to work in the salt.

Add the shallots and garlic to the mortar, and grind all of the ingredients together to form a paste (it will not be completely smooth, like something made in a food processor).

Remove the mixture from the mortar, mix the shrimp paste, spice, and chili powder into the curry to finish.

To prepare the mussels:

In a pot large enough to hold all of the mussels, combine the coconut milk, lime juice, red curry paste, ginger, fish sauce, and brown sugar; heat over a medium-low flame to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Allow the mixture to simmer to 10 minutes to develop flavor.

Add the mussels to the pot, and cover; turn heat up to boil/steam mussels (this should only take a couple of minutes).

As soon as the mussels have opened, remove them from the heat and serve immediately.

Garnish with lime wedges.