Al Dente Gourmet

Broccoli + Green Apple Juice {A Boost of Energy}

2013-04-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

About four years ago J. gave me a juicer for my birthday, and I got so excited that I started juicing up every piece of fruit and vegetable in sight! Apples, pears, oranges, pineapples, spinach, cucumber, parsley ... yes, everything that I could juice!

I started out following the juice recipes from the juicer's manual, then over time I decided to start experimenting, mixing and matching fruit and vegetables more according to our taste. And after a while I started creating my own juice recipes. I was mostly juicing fruits and only added a couple of vegetables at the time, for some reason juicing fruits was more appealing to me than was juicing vegetables.Yes, the taste of fruit juices certainly suit my palate, that sweetness in the juice made my taste buds feel great! It was perfect! But soon I discovered that fruit juices were simply accentuating more my affair with SUGAR {which can gradually increase sugar addiction}

Since fruit juices and vegetables juices do not have the same health benefits. Yes, and if you want to know more about juicing, you can read these articles here and here. You'll be surprised to know the differences between the two and how vegetable juices can make your system feel better and do wonders for your health!

So, I immediately started juicing green vegetables every other day. The taste wasn't very pleasant at first, since my taste buds were very much in love with the fructose of fruit juices. But little by little I increased the amount of green vegetables in my juicing and decreasing the fruits until my body didn't crave for fruits high in sugar. And now I just prefer drinking only leafy green vegetables juices, is like ''drinking'' a refreshing salad! Juicing vegetables is something we do on the regular basis now, and either J. or me would jump into the kitchen and start juicing our veggies {any time of the day}. That not only taste absolutely great, but juicing raw vegetables has also strengthened our energy, our immune system and we hardly ever get sick.

Despite our fresh vegetable juicing habit and the healthy benefits we obtained from it, this is also a wonderful way to make your body increase the consumption of green vegetables into your diet. Try it! And you'll surely feel a boost of energy.

Have you ever tried juicing your vegetables?

Broccoli + Green Apple Juice
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Make 1 Lt

When cutting broccoli trim leaves from stalk, then cut the stalk off the head of the broccoli, cut as high as possible so the florets fall away as you cut. Then cut stalk into halves.

570 g / 20 oz Broccoli {include both the stalks and florets together}

2 Medium Green Apples, cut into quarters

1 Large Cucumber, peeled and cut into halves

2 Stalk of Celery

1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into halves

1 Medium Tomato

1 Lemon, peeled

1 Piece of Fresh Ginger {29 g./ 1.0 oz}, peeled

Preparation:

In a juicer, start by adding half of the broccoli florets and stalks, alternating a bit of each vegetable and fruit at the time. Continue until everything is juiced.

Broccoli health benefits here.

{Confessions of being Lactose Intolerant} And Vanilla + Coconut Muffins + Lemon Syrup

2013-04-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

First of all, my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the tragedy in Boston. Much love and strength.

I am a Lactose Intolerant.
I’ve been diagnosed lactose intolerant since I was very little. Growing up with this intolerance to lactose wasn’t easy, particularly because lactose free products and non-dairy milk alternatives were simply not accessible on those days. {Fortunately now there is a range of lactose free and non-dairy milk alternatives mostly everywhere! And that certainly makes life a little bit easier for me.}

Have you or any in your family ever had or have problems with lactose or dairy products?

Well, as a child, my organism had the worth reaction to milk and yogurt and I used to feel absolutely terrible having to try the famous chocolate milk, I felt ill. It made me feel sad having to say ‘No’ to every person that offered me a yogurt, a glass of milk or piece of chocolate. Some people felt offended and thought that I was been rude or fanciful about food, so I had to explain my ‘lactose intolerance condition’ every time this happened. It was only fair!
While I was growing up I attempt to taste yogurt and milk again, yes, I wanted to be able to enjoy these foods as the rest of my cousins and friends, but every attempt was always unsuccessful, my body had a significant allergic reaction to lactose {rash, fever, itching,in addition to digestive discomfort} It was clear that these symptoms would continue for a long... long time.

My mother was always concerned about me getting enough calcium, so she started looking for different kind of vegetables and fruits that could be ‘in some way’ a substitute of calcium. She started increasing the quantity of leafy green vegetables, and little by little started combining some vegetables with small amounts of cheese {since it wasn’t clear if I would have the same allergic reaction to cheese as well}. Fortunately I didn’t have any negative reaction to cheese! That was a relief! Vegetables and fruits never were a problem for me as a child, contrary to some of my cousins and friends, that always complained when having to eat veggies or fruits! As a child that made me feel very proud of myself! My aunts would congratulated me, and my parents for such achivement with vegetables. Yes, they would say; Felicitaciones! 'Congratulations' , I hope my children would enjoy veggies and fruits as much as your daughter does! And at that age, that kind of complement really meant a world to me!

However, years of experimentation made me more conscious about lactose and dairy milk products, but not all dairy have the same impact in my body. I learned that I was not intolerant to butter or cheese {although I still keep my cheese intake low} I've also learned that dairy is not essential to survive or be healthy! Living with an intolerance to certain food can be challenging, and occasionally inconvenient to me but at the same time can be easy to manage, once you learn your own limits and how much lactose and dairy your body can handle. But not all the people who have lactose intolerance and would react the same way.

I still not able to tolerate regular milk or yogurt, but since my body change constantly, I've also started experiencing a little progress too. Now there are some food that I can eat. Such as sour cream, ricotta, sometimes plain yogurt, my beloved dulce de leche and ‘once in a while’ ice cream with regular milk. But always keeping the intake of these products very low, otherwise my body would not react very well!

Fortunately there are a fabulous substitutes to regular milk. And they can be used when cooking or baking. Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk... Amazing, no!

So, you’ll start seeing lactose free and non- dairy milk alternatives recipes in the blog as well. Starting from today! Vanilla-Coconut Muffins with Lemon Syrup! These are delightful and friendly for people who have no problems with lactose too.

If you suspect that you may be lactose intolerant or have problems with dairy products, you can read information about it here.

Happy Week!

Vanilla + Coconut Muffins + Lemon Syrup

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Makes 9 regular size muffins

The batter consistency is a bit different, and the amount of coconut milk you need for the batter will depend on how thick your almond butter is. I used a thick almond butter that I made at home. So increase the quantity of milk gradually, you might need less than 3/4 cup. Also I'd suggest using paper muffin cups, since these can stick easily even with a non-stick pan. If you don't have paper cups make sure to grease your muffin pan very well.

Recipe adapted from the spunkycoconut blog

1 Medium egg
1/2 C. Almond butter
2 Tbsp. Honey
2 tsp. vanilla essence
1/8 tsp. Stevia {or you can use soft brown sugar to your taste}
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp. Coconut flour
3/4 C. Coconut milk

Preparation:

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, add almond butter, egg, honey, vanilla essence and stevia or sugar. Mix these ingredients until creamy. Then add coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir using a wooden spoon and adding coconut milk gradually. Until everything is combined. Divide mixture among muffin paper cups, about 3/4 full.Bake at 180C/ 355F for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool completely.

Pour about 2-3 Tbsp. lemon syrup over each muffin and sprinkle with lemon zest. Arrange muffins on a serving plate, place in the fridge and leave to set for 30- 40 minutes and serve.

Lemon Syrup

1/4 C. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 C. Soft brown sugar

Preparation:

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add lemon and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook until sugar has dissolved and consistency becomes slightly thick. Let cool completely.

Chickpeas and Vegetables Lettuce Wraps + Sweet Chilli Sauce

2013-04-11T04:51:00.000-07:00

A new month has started! Can you believe it! We're entering a new season here...Autumn, but it doesn't feel quite autumnal yet. Cold breezes, sunny mornings and afternoon showers.Yes! a few more weeks and the beautiful crunchy yellow leaves will decorate the sidewalks again.

So we have been eating a variety of cold and warm meals.Warm foods on the semi-cold evenings and satisfying light lunches on sunny days. And lately we've been experimenting with Asian foods and flavors a lot more! These lettuce wraps are one of our old favorites, we usually serve this with a yogurt dressing but this time we wanted to go a bit more spicy. These are great, and you can make the filling the night before! I'm thinking, next time I will add some toasted cashews too. Light, satisfying, simple...delightful!

Happy Weekend!

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps + Sweet Chilli Sauce

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8-10 lettuce wraps

This filling can be prepared over night. Just store it in the fridge then assembly wraps.

1 1/2 Cooked Chickpeas
2 Zucchinis/courgettes, diced
2 C. Mushrooms, sliced
1 Medium Carrot, shredded
1/2 Onion, into slices
1 Red Capsicum, cut into strips
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. Cumin 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. Chives
3 Tbsp. Sesame seeds

8-10 Lettuce leaves {iceberg, romaine or butter} wash and dried

Preparation:
Heat a large frying pan, add oil, garlic, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, capsicum, carrots and chickpeas. Add salt to taste and cumin. Cook for about 8 minutes stirring frequently. Until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and chives.

Arrange lettuce leaves separately on a serving plate, and fill each one with the chickpea-vegetable mixture.Fold over the lettuce to form a roll. Serve with the Sweet Chilli Sauce!

Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe.

Email Subscriptions + Google Readers + GF Connect Followers {+ featured on the be@home website}

2013-04-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Warm Milk with an Sprinkling of Cinnamon

I suppose you’re aware about Google Reader shutting down on July 1, 2013. If not you can find more information here. Yes, Google Reader will shut down their services. This is affecting a lot of bloggers already {including myself} ! This situation led me to put an end to Feedburner, and since feedburner is part of the Google services, I rather take action now, before is too late and everything becomes more complicated. But not only feedburner is part of google but is also the backing to RSS Readers! And I believe it is only a matter of time for feedburner to reaches its end too. However, I’m please to say that my RSS feed will be handled by Mailchimp now and not Feedburner. So, Mailchimp will be delivering my blog posts from now on!

About Email Subscriptions;
For those of you who have subscribed to al dente gourmet via email, you don’t need to worry about re-entering your email or else. You will be receiving my next blog post via Mailchimp. Only the email design will have a different look {hopefully a much better look too :)} And to those who read this blog via Feed Readers, I invite you to subscribe by email instead, to receive my new blog posts delivered to your inbox!

Google Friend Connect? Also I will be removing the GFC widget, since I’m having problems with this.So to those who follow this blog through GFC, add me on Google+ or you can subscribe via email and get my updates as soon as you see the new subscription box on this blog of mine!

These changes will take place in the next few days. So bear with me, please.
So if you have a blog and you didn’t know about google reader and its closure, please be sure to read this article posted by Google, share the news with others bloggers too and consider to update your feed URL before that happens!

Thank you for your support. And I hope you have a wonderful and colorful weekend!

Beside all this, Al Dente Gourmet has been featured on the Be@Home Website! A lovely site about home décor which features interior design, organizational ideas, and also cooking blogs and food related articles. I wanted to share this with you too. So click here to see more !

French Toast Sandwiches {Spinach + Onion + Mushrooms + Cottage + Tomato}

2013-03-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

The one thing that I really enjoy during Easter season is time. Public holidays are well spent in our home.We always try to remind ourselves about 'the importance of having time to' since one does not always have the chance to have spare time to freely do what one wishes. A handful of experiences from the past taught us to value 'time' more, and to take good advantage of it when an opportunity like this is presented. Time to do things we really enjoy, time for leisure, time to create memories. To do things in 'slow motion' without having to rush.

I've bought all sort of vegetables yesterday, also tomatoes, apples, bananas, quinoa and a good douse of eggs. I've already made up a list with some of our favorite food for this long holiday weekend. And savory french toast sandwiches are included. It's just the kind of food that have a relaxed feel, simple, rich in flavors, the food of our choice for a late breakfast, a quick lunch or an easy afternoon. We can sit and enjoy without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.We love eating this kind of sandwiches, perfect on its own, with soup or salad. But either way is delightful, comforting and simpler.

I wish you a wonderful Easter Season!

Savory French Toast Sandwiches

{Spinach + Onion + Mushrooms + Cottage + Tomato}

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Make 4 Sandwiches

8 Slices whole wheat bread, {toast style}
3C. fresh spinach leaves
1/2 yellow onion, cut into slices
8-9 button mushrooms,cut into slices
8 semi-thick tomato slices
7-8 Tbsp. Olive oil{or any vegetable oil of your choice}
1 C. cottage cheese, {remove any excess water}
1/2 C.Grated Parmesan
Thyme leaves
4 large eggs
1/4 C. milk
Butter, for cooking
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat add oil, onions, mushrooms and spinach, add salt and pepper to taste and saute for a couple of minutes. Set aside. In a bowl place cottage cheese and grated Parmesan, mix and add sauteed vegetables. Mix gently to combine.

Spread cottage mixture over half the bread slices, top with two tomato slices each, sprinkle with thyme and sandwich with remaining bread. In a bowl place eggs and milk, sprinkle with a bit of pepper and whisk well. Dip each sandwich {one at a time} for about 20 seconds each side. Set aside. In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, melt a little butter, place sandwiches in the pan and cook for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

A Touch of Green

2013-03-19T03:30:00.000-07:00

Recycling

Weather hasn't been very nice here. One morning may be warm, sunny and gray and stormy in the afternoon. A combination of summer and autumn just in one day! The weather transition of March has started.

However, I just wanted to share with you these photos of my recycled short drinking glasses.Yes, some of them began getting chips and small cracks and instead of throwing them, I decided to use them as little flower vases.They now decorate our dinner table, office desk, kitchen window and even my bedside table. I just cut some bay leaves and flowers from our garden and started to display these around the house. It's nice to bring a bit of nature indoors, home feels more cheerful and pleasant.

So if you have some old drinking glasses you'd like to reuse, this is a fun way to help save the environment and to create something pretty at the same time! I hope you feel inspired to make some recycling art.

Wishing you a happy-colorful week!

from drinking glass to flower vase

Delight & Relax {Chai Latte}

2013-03-08T19:09:00.001-08:00

Late afternoon tea, is something that we really enjoy in our home {cafe con leche "coffee with milk" , Mate con Leche "Infused Yerba Mate with milk} But lately, we have been indulging our selves with many cups of Chai Latte. The fragrance of this simple and exquisite beverage, fill our home of wonderful aromas and the afternoon becomes a delight.

Shooting and fresh. Calming and flavorful. A delightful blend of spices that could warm body and soul. Take a moment to remember the beautiful little things of life. I hope you have a flavorful and colorful weekend! Have a walk, listen a song, brew some spiced chai latte!

Happy Weekend!

Chai Latte Recipe

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Serves 2

You can also use almond milk, soy milk or rice milk instead of regular milk. It can be served warm as a hot latte or cold as an iced chai latte. And if you like to spice up a little this chai you could add a whole peppercorn too.

1 Tea Bag {Regular tea / Black tea} {I used decaf. Regular tea}

2 Cinnamon Sticks,

4 Green Cardamon pods

2 Whole Cloves

1/2 Vanilla Bean

1 Piece of Fresh Ginger {about 2 cm long and 1 cm thick}

2 1/4 C. Water

1 C. Milk

Sugar or Honey, to taste

Preparation:

In a pot add the water. Set aside.

1-Open tea bag, cut it open and empty the content into the water.

2-Take the cinnamon sticks and break into smaller pieces {by doing this, cinnamon flavor and aroma will enhance}.

3-Then lightly smash the green cardamons.

4-Peel ginger and cut in half.

5-Scrape seeds out of the vanilla bean.{Keep the bean}

6-Keep cloves whole.

After that, put all the spices in the water. Bring to a boil.Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. When ready, {and using a fine strainer} strain into cups. In a separate pot add the milk, bring to a boil.Remove from heat and pour over the chai. Sweeten as desired.

Starting our Day + Plums in Balsamic Syrup

2013-02-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

We’ve been busy during these last couple of weeks, working, organizing, cleaning and re-organizing our home. This weekend I finally bought myself a {much needed} cabinet, and now I can finally have all my 'precious' little things stored and organized.

I’ve also started sewing! Yes, that’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while but I didn’t have the time and inspiration to do it. I started making linen napkins this week and I finished the last one last night. {I will show you pictures of this soon}

And morning breakfasts {like this one}have been 'the great motivation' to wake up earlier than usual!Making our mornings more enjoyable, giving us the energy and freshness needed to start our day with a smile.

Hope you're enjoying your week!

Plums in Balsamic Syrup

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These plums cooked in balsamic vinegar are wonderful to serve over pancakes, creamy plain yogurt, chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.

7 Large Semi- Firm Plums, {cleaned, seeded and cut in half}

5 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 C. Water

1/2 C. Soft brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Vanilla essence

Preparation:

In bowl combine vinegar, water and vanilla essence.Mix. Set aside. In a large frying pan add plums and pour the vinegar mixture over plums.Sprinkle with the sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low heat and simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half and plums star to become soft. {Cooking time about 10 minutes}

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Three Times Roses

2013-02-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

Flowers

I hope you had a wonderful and lovely weekend. I've taken these pictures last week, during a very warm day, just a day after Valentine's Day. I knew I had to photograph these beautiful Roses before they began to turn brown and wilt away. As you can see in the pictures there's a couple of the Roses that already started to get wilted.

But they still beautiful to me...

{J. would like me to tell you that he gave me these Flowers for Valentine's Day and that the lavender flower you see in the second picture is not part of the bouquet. He cut it from our garden and put into the bouquet because he wanted to get creative and thought it would make this more interesting} While I'm writing about this, I can't stop laughing. Because I just found out!

So with no further ado, here the flowers from J.

Happy Week! I've also been enjoying:

this post from my friend Anita.

these white ideas for lunch.

I'd love to try this bread recipe from Angie.

and this song.

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Blueberry + Orange Muffins {With Wholewheat Flour}

2013-02-06T23:24:00.001-08:00

Happy February!

After returning home from our last trip up north, a lazy baking weekend followed. Sunday morning felt fresh and sunny, and with it the urge to bake something sweet, something delightful.

And quick breads are always a wonderful option to me.I had some blueberries and wholewheat flour waiting to be used, so needless to say that blueberry + orange muffins became part of our morning breakfast!

The fragrance of fresh baking and sweet blueberries...

Wholewheat Blueberries + Orange Muffins

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Makes 11-12

125 g./ 1/2 C. Blueberries
1 C. Whole wheat flour
1 C. All Purpose flour / Plain flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 soft brown sugar
2 Medium Eggs
Zest from 1 sweet orange
1/4 C. Vegetable oil
3/4 C. Milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180C/356F. Lightly grease 12 cup muffin pan.Set aside.

In a medium bowl add dry ingredients {wheat flour, plain flour, baking soda and salt} Mix well. In a separate bowl combine sugar, eggs,zest, oil and milk, whisking well. Then stir in the flour mixture until all everything is combined. Pour and divide the batter into the muffin pan,add blueberries into the top of each muffin, pressing gently {about 4-5 each}. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool and serve with your favorite tea.

Storing Muffins: Store in an airtight container into the refrigerator {they will stay fresh for up to 2-3 days}.

Blueberry + Orange Muffins

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Sunrise {Beauty}

2013-01-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Sunrise at Houhora, New Zealand

At this very moment, I'm outside a cabin in front of the Houhora Harbour, listening to this song by My Bubba & Mi, writing this short post. Yes, I'm away from home {again}- This is far up North, about five hours from our home {this is where we are} and is a beautiful-magical place!

However, I just wanted to share with you this photograph of the sunrise, that I took early in the morning, while the sun was rising and setting. It's an amazing feeling to contemplate such breathtaking act of nature! Yes, great things happen each and every day in our lives.

Do you get the same feeling while watching a sunrise?

Russian Salad and Moments {part II}

2013-01-22T00:53:00.000-08:00

Is the beauty of the countryside around here that reminds me of my little province. Sometimes is a particular place and sometimes the combined smells of trees and flowers, or the simplicity of the smell of moist earth after a rain. It was this same distinctive scent of rain that lead my mind to treasured memories. The kind of memories that make you feel thoughtful and kind. That reminds you to never forget about the beautiful small things in life.

It happened during our last trip, while we were re-visiting some of the local farms and markets in the area. I was looking for fruits and veggies but I was particularly looking for peas! It was the only ingredient that I was missing to compliment the side salad that already had in mind for our dinner. I wanted to make "Ensalada Rusa" Russian Salad {a traditional salad that we Argentinians enjoy to eat as a side salad} -Then after wandering for a while I found the precious peas at a little farmer's stand that was also showing up some gorgeous beetroots and homemade jams.

The day was rainy, warm and the salty breezes brought a foggy afternoon.And as soon as we unpacked the goodies we bought I grabbed the pages of an old newspaper, put it on the table and started to remove the peas from their pods. It was just at that very moment that my mind and heart when back in time to my childhood and remembered the days of ''peeling green peas'' sitting next to my grandfather's chair, while my grandmother would smiled at me and tell me *with encouraging words*: "Muy Bien" "Very good". And for a moment that 'almost' forgotten memory became alive and fresh once again. It's that same feeling of kindness and accomplishment that I never want to forget, no matter how challenging or busy life might become.

Never cease to amaze me how certain things can evoke such precious memories! So I made Ensalada Rusa the way my Grandmother used to. It's a combination potatoes, carrots, peas, green apple, parsley with the addition of mayonnaise.And it can be served as a side salad. This salad is very fulfilling and the green apple and parley enhances the flavors wonderfully.

I leave you with this recipe and as promised more photographs from our trip, visiting the countryside, produce from local farms and the discovery of the goldfruit a citric fruit that combines mandarin, orange and grapefruit flavor in one fruit. I can not tell you in words how exquisite this citric fruit is! I made a sweet and savory salad with a couple of this 'new to my knowledge' fruit. And you can see the picture that I took with my phone here at my instagram blog.

I hope you are having a wonderful start of the week!

Russian Salad My Style

{Potatoes + Carrots + Green Apples + Parsley + Mayonnaise}

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Serves 4

5 Medium Potatoes, diced

1 Big Carrot, diced

1 C. Fresh Green Peas*

1 Green Apple, diced

1/2 C. Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Mayonnaise to taste

Preparation:

In a pot add potatoes and carrots and bring them to a boil until vegetables become tender.Boil peas in a separate pot {they tend to cook quickly than the potatoes and carrots}until tender.When ready drain all vegetables and let them cool down completely. In a bowl add vegetables, diced apple, parsley and mayonnaise and mix everything together.

*For this recipe you can also use frozen peas or if not available to you, use canned peas.

Ensalada Rusa

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{Moments}

2013-01-09T03:00:00.002-08:00

New Zealand

Hi! I hope you had a happy new year and a nice holiday break! We spent the holiday season at ''la playa'' the beach. Having barefoot walks, swimming, sightseeing and eating simple yet delightful meals.We needed some quality time to relax as well, and it felt great after a pretty busy year.

We drove up north and visited some places we love. And also re-discover the breath-taking coastline of the Mercury Bay. Absolutely magical.{I cannot tell you in words the beauty of this place!}

So we went out and about exploring the area, visiting local farms and spending most of our time outdoors.

But above all, it was also an opportunity to ponder, look back and discover how much had happened into my life. Experiences that fed and shaped my soul.

Many challenges, mistakes, choices, lessons, but also wonderful memories and unforgettable happy moments. I realized how much I've grown and all the things that I've accomplished in the past year. It made me feel renewed, thankful...

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. Chinese proverb

We really had an amazing time, and enjoyed every minute of our holiday break. So here some pictures from our trip! {More photos to come} I'll be back soon!

Wishing you a colorful - great day!

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May There be Pace on Earth

2012-12-22T17:37:00.001-08:00

May There be Pace on Earth

I hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful time! Thank you for all the support and lovely comments during this year. It really means a lot to me! Blogging has made me part of a community that introduced me to some wonderful virtual- friends and has brought me many joys.

It's been a year full of growth and experiences and for that I'm grateful.

May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wish you lots of love, joy and happiness. MERRY CHRISTMAS. unknown author.

I'll be back soon!

Have a Fabulous Holiday Season!

Christmas au Naturel + Sesame Wafer Cookies {Tuiles}

2012-12-15T17:21:00.001-08:00

Christmas al Natural

As I was saying in my last post, growing up having Christmas on summer always call for refreshing food. The sweet smell of fresh flowers made the holiday season even more inspiring.The warm weather invited us to celebrate outdoors and my mother would decorate the table, with a vase filled with green leaves and some flowers from my grandmother's garden. It was simple but exceptionally beautiful.

It didn't need to be more. Inspired by my mother's creativity, nowadays I decorate my Christmas table the same way. And it seemed appropriate to share this with you today. A Christmas au naturel table setting.

Also this month in our Oh Happy Plates Group we are celebrating the holiday season with the theme Still Life Christmas. And members of the group have been uploading some GORGEOUS "Christmas Inspired" photographs! And I invite you to take a look around our board.Big Claps to all of you participating this month!

Black Sesame Tuiles {Wafer -Crispy Thin Cookies}

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Makes 20-25

1 C. / 120 g / 4.2 oz All Purpose Flour / Plain Flour

140 g / 4.9 oz Icing Sugar / Powdered sugar / Confectioner's sugar

100 g / 3.5 oz Unsalted butter , melted

4 medium / 134 g / 4.7 oz Egg whites

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla essence

Black Sesame seeds

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 200C / 400F. Grease and flour baking trays (about 3 trays). Set Aside.

In a medium bowl cream together sugar and butter (by hand with a whisk). Slowly add egg whites, vanilla essence and flour. Mix well until batter becomes uniform and silky in texture.

Place medium round cookie cutter on the prepared baking tray and place 1 to 2 tsp. tuile batter into the center of the hole and spread it out evenly. (making a thin layer). Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top. Repeat with the remaining tuile batter.

Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes until lightly colored around the edges. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, remove the tuiles from baking tray. Leave them to cool flat or create arched shapes.If want to create the arched shape, you'll need to work fast and as soon as they come out of the oven and they are enough cool to handle just drape them around rolling pin. If they become stiff to bend, return them to the oven for a minute and they will soften up.Keep tuiles in a airtight container or they will lose their crisp texture. Serve tuiles alongside ice creams, fresh fruit, fruit compote, sorbet, yogurt or panna cotta.

~ Beetroot + Potatoes + Green Peas + Eggs {Salad}

2012-12-13T22:39:00.001-08:00

Heartful Salad with the Colors of Christmas

Salad is always part of our Christmas dinner. It's the kind of food that can bring simplicity and creativity at the same time. Yes, it's hearty, colorful, rich in flavors and it could complement those traditional or non-{so}traditional Christmas dishes so well!

Growing up having Christmas on summer days, and when plenty freshness was needed--Simple salads were {and still are} the obvious -refreshing food to accompany various dishes. It was only fair. Beets salad have been a favorite in my family. Particularly this combination with beets, potatoes, green peas and eggs.It's the sort of salad that I'm never tired of eating.

Beets + Potatoes + Green Peas + Eggs {Salad}

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Serves 4

6 mediums beets, cleaned

6 small potatoes, peeled & cut into halves

250 g / 8.8 oz. Green peas

3 hard boiled Eggs, cut into halves

Olive oil

Sea Salt to taste

Pepper to taste (optional)

Any Fresh Herb of your choice to garnish

Preparation:

Wash and scrub beetroots. (Leave the beets whole) Put whole beetroots in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil (reduce heat) and simmer for 1 - 2 hours or until they are fork tender. When ready take them hot and rub off the skin under cold water (rub gently using paper towels). Set aside.

In a separate saucepan add potatoes and green peas, cover with water. Bring to boil (reduce heat) and cook on medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Boil the eggs in a separate saucepan for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl toss together the beets, potatoes, peas and eggs, add oil, salt and pepper, garnish and serve (warm or cold).

Beautiful Beetroots

Beets + Potatoes + Green Peas + Eggs {Salad}

Baked with Love {Cinnamon Cookies} & A Christmas Wrapping Idea

2012-12-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

Things are happening fast now and very soon a new year will begin to blossom. It's exciting!

These are some of the cinnamon cookies I made last week. I baked two beautiful batches of cookies and this morning I found out they were all gone! Cinnamon seems to really make these cookies warm and lovely... and also irresistible around here.J.agreed.Obviously I will have to make more of these cookies next weekend! Some for us and some for our friends too. But this time I will invite J. to join me in the kitchen- It would be fun to make cookies together or a fun- family{of two}--weekend holiday project!

I love the holidays, and all the gorgeous and inspiring ideas everyone shares {on this virtual space} during this time of the year. It's almost impossible not to feel motivated to create.I saw this lovely DIY Cup-Cake Liners idea at funkytime and thought, ooh that could be a wonderful christmas gift wrapping idea! That's how this idea came together! I'm planning on using this ''wrapping idea" for the cookies that I will give to our friends. And I thought you'd enjoy this too.

To make this little wrapped Christmas Cup- Step 1- I used a plastic cup. Step 2- I cut a square of white parchment baking paper and wrapped around the cup. Step 3- I cut some bay leaves from the little garden {you can also use rosemary leaves or any aromatic green leaf} Step 4-Tie with some baker's twine {or any colorful ribbon} around it and slip in the cute reindeer gift tag. That it! It's very easy and fun to make.

The cute holiday reindeer gift tag is from eatdrinkchic and you can download it for free at Amy's website.

It's a hearty little thing that could bring a lot of smiles.

I hope you're enjoying your week.

Cinnamon Cookies

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Makes 50-60 depending on size of cookies.

2 1/4 C. All Purpose flour / Plain flour

100 g / 3.5 oz Unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 Egg

1 C. Soft brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla essence

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Preparation: Preheat oven at 170C / 338F. In a large bowl add sugar, butter and one egg. Mix {using an electric mixer} until creamy {about 2-3 minutes}. Add cinnamon powder,vanilla essence,flour and baking soda plus the lightly beaten egg and make a dough.Adjust dough if necessary by adding a bit more of flour or a bit of water until dough is ready to roll.Knead mixture {on a floured surface} into a smooth dough, until it holds together when shape into a ball.

Roll out the dough to approximately 4-5 mm thick, then cut out with your favorite shaped cookie cutters. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.Take them out of the oven and store them in an airtight container.

Cinnamon Cookies

Back Then {Spring}

2012-11-27T00:10:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend. These are the first Ranunculus flowers from September. My very own Ranunculus Flowers! I've never grown these kind of flowers before but I found out they are easy to grown ''for even a beginner'' like me.Yes, this year I've got to enjoy the ranunculus blossoms at my little porch. They are so beautiful and so delicate at the same time. I watched every one of these flowers open more and more ...little by little during spring.

I cut them and put together a little bouquet to decorate our dinner table. All those layers and soft colorful petals just made our home more bright and happy. Having fresh flowers inside our home always has a very therapeutic effect on me.

Flowers always make people feel better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. Luther Burbank

And I thought I'd share my little collection of ranunculus photos with you.

Enjoy the last days of November.

Celebrating Life, Learned Traditions & Tarteletas Saladas

2012-11-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

Petite Savory Tarts ~ Tarteletas Saladas

As December approaches, and there's almost a couple of weeks left to start the countdown for a new year -- November is always a month that evokes memories of my Grandmother, her birthday, Argentina and it summery and humid weather and the celebration of learned new traditions while living overseas.

A time of reflection,where the past and the present merge to create new moments.Now that my Grandmother is not around anymore, I wish I could tell her how much I've been learning all these years! And how much her love and passion for food and cooking have influenced many of my decisions. Today I'm celebrating life, family and traditions with 'tarteletas saladas' {tarteletas are very popular in my home country, particularly during holiday season}

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and colorful week! And for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving Day I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving Day!

P.S: You're more than welcome to take this quote and use it!

Petite Savory Tarts

{Ricotta+Blue Cheese+Mayonnaise+Roasted Sweet Potatoes+Walnuts+Herbs}

These tarts can be assembled several hours before serving, just keep the in the fridge, just add fresh hers before serving. Unfilled shells can always be made and baked in advance and be frozen. When ready to use simply place them in the oven for a few minutes.

Tart Dough / Base

make 24 petite tarts

180 g / 6.4 oz / 3 C. All purpose Flour / Plain Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
100 g / 3.5 oz Unsalted butter{at room temperature}
1/4 C. Iced Cold water

Preparation

Lightly flour a mini-muffin tray and set aside. In a medium bowl add flour and salt. Mix well. Add butter and make a crumble by rubbing with fingertips until mixture resemble to breadcrumbs. Add water little by little and form the dough {this dough does not need much kneading, just until the dough forms}-- Now roll out the dough onto a floured surfaced {about 1/2 cm thick} Using a round cookie cutter, cut dough into {24} circles.Press dough circles into prepared mini-muffin tray and puncture each of them with a fork. Place in the refrigerator for about 20-25 minutes. When ready place in preheated {180C / 356F} oven and bake for 15- 18 minutes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes+Ricotta+Blue Cheese+Mayonnaise {Filling}

2 Medium Yams/ Sweet Potatoes

Salt, to taste

Olive oil

250 g./ 8.8 oz Ricotta

100 g./ 3.5 Creamy Blue cheese,crumbled

mayonnaise to taste {I used about 1/2 cup}

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes, and cut into little cubes. Place them en a roasting tray, add little bit of oil and salt. Roast for about 15-20 minutes {preheated oven 200C/400F}-Set aside.

In a medium bowl add ricotta,blue cheese and mayonnaise and mix all ingredients until everything becomes soft and creamy.

Assembling Tarts +Walnuts and Herbs

Walnuts, chopped

Herbs, Any herb you like {I used micro-herbs}

Now, fill each tart with ricotta and blue cheese creamy filling {about a tsp. each}, add diced roasted potatoes on top, chopped walnuts and fresh herbs. Served before the meal as an appetizer or entree.

Oh Happy Plates {New Project} & Holiday Season Changes

2012-11-18T16:11:00.002-08:00

Fresh Farm Eggs from Waipu. {Still Life}

Here our fourth project! I know November and December are pretty busy months for all of us, so I thought a better option would be to combine both months under a single theme. And our pictures would have to be submitted on December 14th. Do you like the idea?

Let me know your thoughts.

Our theme will be 'Christmas Still Life' – Still Life simply means putting nonliving objects together to create an image {having into account composition and lighting}—This is a wonderful technique that could help you achieve better mood in your food photography.

When I was studying drawing and painting {yes, this is before I became a cook} my favorite class was Still Life in Spanish Naturaleza Muerta which translated means “Dead Nature” – We used to have a large wooden table full of different objects; flowers, old plates, fabrics, glass bottles, etc. I loved moving objects around and trying new composition ideas.

However, to create this Christmas Still Life Photograph keep in mind our basics; shape, color and balance.

Remember to use your Props {plates/chopping boards, flowers, linens, glasses, bottles, etc.} to enhance your composition.

Here some wonderful examples from different photographers, I thought it would be helpful if I posted a round-up of Still life photos as guidance, so you can get a clearer idea about the subject. I'd put together a variation of styles, colors and compositions about Still Life photography to inspire you create!

1. In the Kitchen - 2. christmas candy, 3. Vintage Kitchen, 4. 122/365 - EXPLORE :), 5. Snacktime, 6. Untitled, 7. this is made of Butter and Love .... ♥ ♥♥, 8. Christmas decorations, 9. Untitled, 10. perfect combination, 11. The Picnic, 12. Gingerbread biscuits and tea, 13. Cruasanes, Croissants, desayuno, merienda.

So remember we will be uploading our images on December 14th on our OHP Pinterest Board. I hope you have a lot of fun creating and exploring!

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Time Together & Away {Part 2}

2012-11-12T17:44:00.001-08:00

At the Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese Factory, NZ

Driving back home, we stopped at Mahoe Cheese Factory for some "Gouda Cheese" and also made a quick stop at a little farm that sells free range eggs, vegetables and lovely flowers and plants at Waipu. So as I promised here the second part of our trip. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed every minute of our trip.

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Indeed! Hope you're all having a great week so far! Oh and the cheese and eggs we brought home became part of a weekend morning omelette breakfast!

Gouda Cheese, Eggs! Our food souvenirs from the Northland.

Time Together & Away {Part 1}

2012-11-06T19:42:00.002-08:00

Bay of Islands, NZ

Our trip took place on a rainy and humid afternoon, but despite the weather,we simply wanted to lose ourselves in the vast and beautiful countryside.We traveled to the northern parts of Auckland, and we spent most of our time at the beach. I never get tired of the beaches and the scenery there.Indeed,one of the most spectacular sea views! I wish we could have stayed here a couple of days more, enjoying the ocean's view and taking photos.

During that weekend, J. and I had the opportunity to explore around the country towns, and also visit the famous Mahoe Farmhouse Cheese Factory. It was wonderful! Just been there having some quality time together, laughing, and talking about everything and nothing,simply enjoying each others company and reminding each other how much we care about the other.

So here some photos of our trip to Bay of Islands and I will post some more photos of our trip soon. I just wanted to share some sea-inspired pics first :)

I hope everyone is having a great start to the new month! Welcome November!

to be continued...

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Roasted Sweet Potato Muffins + Halloween + OHP

2012-10-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sweet Potato Muffins with Black Sesame Seeds

Halloween! This is the kind of tradition that I've not grown up with. But I've certainly learned to enjoy it. Over the years I've learned how fascinating becomes to cook with pumpkin and sweet potatoes and to decorate my front door with Orange Pumpkins! Yes, it was several years ago {in the States} during a Halloween celebration that I was first introduced to pumpkin pie, and I was immediately immersed in its flavors and fragrant aroma!

Today, however, I'm celebrating with a cup of "cafe con leche"-coffee with milk and Sweet Potato muffins and as I sit here writing this post, enjoying my morning breakfast, the flavors of cinnamon and sweet potato, reminds me of autumn, friendship and those unforgettable years when I was just starting to explore life. It feels so distant and magical. Almost like a dream.

Those same memories and scents lead me to make these muffins, yesterday.I knew I wanted something sweet,something fragrant,something with cinnamon flavor! But instead of pumpkin I decided to use Kumara; a very rich colorful sweet potato from New Zealand. Kumara is available all year round here and it taste absolutely wonderful, so I knew this would be the perfect match for my muffins.

While these muffins were baking,the aroma of sweet potatoes and cinnamon filled the house with such incredible fragrant scent, that I revived every distant and faded memory.

I hope everyone is having a lovely end -of- the month!

Also this month in our Oh Happy Plates Group our theme for this month {October} was the Color Orange. So here some of my pictures!Big Claps to all of you participating in the group! Our board is becoming so colorful and pretty!

Roasted Sweet Potato Muffins with Black Sesame Seeds

12-15 medium muffins -Adapted from king Arthur Flour

1 2/3 C. All Purpose Flour / Plain Flour
1 1/2 Baking powder
Pinch of salt {about a 1/4 tsp}
1 C. Caster Sugar
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg, fresh grated
3 large eggs {I use free range}
1/2 C. Vegetable oil
1 1/2 C.Sweet potato, roasted and puree
Black Sesame seeds

Preparation:
In a small bowl mix flour, ,baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl add sugar, eggs, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet potatoes. Mix well. Then add flour mixture.Combine all ingredients using a wooden spoon. Divide muffin mixture into a greased muffin pan or muffin paper cups. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C 350 F for about 20- 25 minutes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:{I used to large orange sweet potatoes} Peel the potatoes, transfer to a roasting tray, brush the potatoes with a little bit olive oil. Roast at 200 C 390 F for 40 minutes. When ready {they are ready when they can be easily pierced with a fork} and when they are cool enough to handle make a puree.

Note: Do not boil the potatoes, otherwise the mixture will become watery.

{Casual} Green Salad

2012-10-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Avocado, cabbage, mesclun mix microgreens with walnut vinaigrette

J. and I just came home from a very nice weekend trip this morning, and while unpacking I couldn't stop thinking about that cabbage and those avocados we bought in our way back. The urge to eat a fresh raw salad was irresistible!

This is typically my favorite kind of lunch when I know I'm going to have a busy day. Yes, a large salad - it satisfying and certainly keep me energized for the whole afternoon until dinner time.So I made this 'casual' salad and served it with a simple walnut vinaigrette and garlic toasted french bread. It was satisfying! We're just finished organizing everything for the week, and while I take a little time to sit down and sip a cup of tea, I wanted to share with you this green casual salad!

I'll be back soon with photos from our trip. I wish you all a colorful week ahead!

Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe can be found here.

The Northland

2012-10-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago J. and I had the opportunity to visit the Waipu Cove beach at the northland.The scenery was unbelievable, one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen! {A little Paradise} - These photographs are part of one of my upcoming posts, but I simply couldn't resist showing you some pictures today.

So here some photos of our last visit to the northland.

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Waipu Cove Beach, New Zealand.

Take time to breath...

Take time to refresh your soul.