Bueno Fresh Salsa

I think one of the best things about going to a Mexican restaurant is the little basket of chips and salsa they bring you before you eat. You could make a whole meal from it, especially if it's good housemade stuff.

Someone recently asked if I had a good fresh salsa recipe. Despite my love for it, I rarely ever make it at home. I decided today was as good as any to try a batch, and I'm glad I did. This recipe will definitely be making its appearance multiple times this summer.

Since fresh perfectly ripe tomatoes are hard to find sometimes round these parts, I added a can of crushed tomatoes, which add a lovely base and flavor to the salsa.



Bueno Fresh Salsa
1 (28oz) can plain crushed tomatoes
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 c vidalia onion, finely minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Allow to hang out in the fridge for a few hours, to allow flavors to combine.

Orange Flax Cake

If you haven't noticed, I love to slip flax into things. I especially love slipping flax seed meal in, which is more digestible by your body. Usually in most recipes, you can substitute a nice portion of the flours with flax meal.

This cake is amazingly delicious, and fairly low in calories. Also, it's got a nice amount of protein and fiber in it, and the addition of the orange juice and orange zest really add a lovely tone to the entire cake.



Orange Flax Cake
1 c dried cranberries
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 c flax seed meal
2 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c oil
1 1/4 c fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including the zest. In a smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and add them to the dry ingredients. Once well-mixed, stir in the cranberry mixture. Place in a greased 8x8 pan, or a bundt cake pan, and place in preheated oven. Bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in cake comes out dry.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Slice when cool, and serve with drizzled honey.

Spanish Rice & Beans

Spanish rice is everywhere, and everyone has their own way of making it. There's the kind you get at a Mexican restaurant, or the type you get from a Tex-mex restaurant. If you go to Guatemala, they make theirs completely different than they do in Puerto Rico. And even among Puerto Ricans, they have different ways to make it, depending on what part of Puerto Rico you came from, or if you are a New-Urican. And of course, the best rice recipes are the ones where there is no recipe, but simply "add this until it looks good, and then add that."

When I lived in Guatemala, I fell in love with their version, and learned how to make it there. Then when I moved back here to the East Coast, I discovered the Puerto Rican version. I finally asked a woman at work who had brought some in for lunch if she would share her recipe. Although she didn't give me measurements, or anything other than a list of ingredients, after a few trial-and-errors, I was finally able to come up with a version that is tastefully wonderful. The following is the result. Any decent grocery store with Goya products should have the ingredients.



*If you are unable to locate any proper fresh Sofrito in your area, I've linked to an authentic recipe. It is definitely worth having some of this on hand, and not only to make this rice.


Spanish Rice & Beans
3 tbsp Sofrito
1 pkt Goya Sazon seasoning
1 tsp Goya Adobo seasoning
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
30 oz water
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained (or whatever beans you prefer)
2 cups long grain rice

Combine sofrito, sazon, and adobo in a large saucepan. Add sauce and water, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, add beans, and bring back to a boil. Add rice, bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Serve and enjoy!

Microtato Chips

You might want to prepare yourselves for this, folks. Because I'm about to introduce something revolutionary to you. And I'm sure everyone and their mother have been making these for years, but it's new to me. Fat-free potato chips. And I'm not talking those little potato-eque wafers you get at the grocery store. I'm talking straight up potato chips, just as good as the full fat ones, just as crispy, and definitely just as tasty.

Follow me on this - potatoes, made in the microwave, with just a smidgen of cooking spray. Flavored with whatever spice combination floats your boat. I'm talking Old Bay, I'm talking chili powder with fresh lime, I'm talking freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt.

*This is also my entry in Sweetnick's Tuesday Anti-Oxidant Rich Food Roundup*



Microtato Chips
2 large potatoes, freshly scrubbed
cooking spray
parchment paper or wax paper
desired seasoning
a microwave

Thinly slice potatoes, using either a mandolin, or a regular vegetable peeler. Spray a sheet of parchment paper (or wax paper) lightly with cooking spray, and lay potatoes out in a single layer. Season with desired seasoning, and place in the microwave. Microwave on high, 5-7 minutes, until chips start to brown. Remove from the oven, and cool for a few seconds. Enjoy!

*And if you do make these, I'd love to know some more seasonings that worked for you

Indian Rice and Potatoes

Obviously, if you dig through my archives, you'll find that I am a huge fan of Indian food. I love the combination of spices, and the whole "comfort food" aspect of it. I've loved it since I was a little girl, and had my first Indian meal at a restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya. Since then, I've been in love.

This is a fabulous dish, whether it's your main dish or your side dish. It combines two of my most favorite things to cook with, rice and potatoes, and is so amazingly spiced. Although the ingredient list seems long and fiddly, the entire recipe takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. Serve with fresh lime wedges, and enjoy the flavors.



Indian Rice and Potatoes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
3 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c dried coconut*
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp oil
1 cup rice
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lime juice
2 cups water
1/2 c frozen peas
1 tbsp butter

Combine yogurt, cilantro, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and coconut. Add potatoes, stir well, and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Heat oil in large pan, and add cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until cumin turns brown. Add potato and yogurt mixture, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once potatoes are nicely browned, add rice, and cook for another minute or two. Add turmeric, brown sugar, salt, lime juice, and water. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Add peas to pot, and do not stir in. Cover with lid and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove lid, and fluff with fork. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Serve and enjoy!

*I only had the sweetened flaked coconut in my pantry, and it worked just fine.

Hummus Hall of Fame

I was going through my archives, trying to figure out just how many different hummus recipes I've posted. For those of you who may have missed them, I decided to share them all again with you in my "Hummus Hall of Fame."
Enjoy!

Green Chili Hummus

Moroccan Carrot Hummus

Thai Basil Hummus

Sundried Tomato Hummus

Lemon Ginger Hummus

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

Chipolte Cilantro Hummus

I'm addicted to hummus. No, seriously. I start to get twitchy if I don't have any in the house, and if I haven't tried a new combination in a few weeks, I get nervous.

Actually, it's not that bad. But if you've been reading any food blogs lately, you'll know that hummus has become the new thing. Everyone is making hummus, and seriously, if you're still buying it? Please, I beg you to try it at home. You'll never look back. Not only is it easy, quick, and delicious, it's extremely economical and most of the ingredients are already stocked in your pantry.

This is my new favorite hummus. I've been tossing this idea around for the past few days, wondering how the flavors would be together, and finally decided to try it today. Let me tell you - I'm rather glad I did. I love chipolte chilis, especially in adobo sauce, and the smokiness of it adds such a lovely flavor to it.

*This is on the spicy side, so if you like things more mild, then decrease the amount of chiles*



Chipolte Cilantro Hummus
2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 canned chipolte chiles, and
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1 clove garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp cilantro

Puree chipolte chiles and adobo sauce in a food processor until well minced. Add chickpeas, and garlic, and process until smooth. (As a note, I prefer texture in my hummus, so I minced the adobo, handmashed the chickpeas to desired texture, and then added the rest of the ingredients by hand). Slowly drizzle in olive oil until well mixed. Add cumin and pulse a few times. Add cilantro and pulse twice more. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so for flavors to bloom. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or wrapped in a tortilla with fresh veggies and sprouts.