INCREDIBLE FINDS...

It seems that lately everybody recommends their favorite products. I, of course, am big on grocery shopping. Mostly, I look for latin markets where I can get my favourite products from South America right here in the States. Sometimes, however, I don't look for anything specific but just love to walk around the supermarket or shops to see what new products are comming out.

This past week, I was at Trader Joe's and I found a sweet treat original from Colombia and decided to give it a try. It is called "Guava Paste Rolls" and the picture showed it on top of cheese and crackers. I had it in my pantry for a few days and finally today I had it with sans crackers on top of a slice of cheddar cheese. It was favolous. It is like a jelly or jam (only a little more stiff) but it isn;t as sweet as strawberries or grape jellies. Is more like a sweet and sour taste. As soon as I put it in my mouth I satrted daydreaming about the incredible combinations and dishes I could use it for. Just to name a few of the ones that crossed through my mind: penut butter and guava sandich/rolls, baked brie with a little guava paste, panna cotta with guava coulis, guava roll with sulce de leche on the inside, etc... mmm... I can just taste those!!!

In any event, I encourage you to look for these little ones and gve them a try! Specially if you are as crazy about sweets as I am....

Another one of my favourite products is called Better'n Peanut Butter. It tastes very similar than the real thing but has only 100 cal. per two tablespoons!!!! Incredible. Of course, I'm a fan of everything creamy that I can indulge in without regrets. Also, when talking about peanut butter it is hard to think of anybody that can put their spoon inside the bottle and not eat more that the suggested serving of one tablespoon.

I usually have this spread with chocolate muffins (one of those that come in 100 cal packs), as topping for ice cream and on top of sweet crackers.

Here is a picture of the product in case you need phisical evidence of my words....

PEANUT CHICKEN PASTA

The other night I was searching the internet for new ideas and recipes to try. I found a delicious recipe of chicken pizza that substituted the usual tomato sauce of a traditional pizza with peanut butter and soy sauce. The picture included with the recipe was fantastic. So I printed the instructions and tried to change the pizza dough with pita bread to make it a little litter. The result, however, was a delicious chicken and vegetable mixture on top of awful bread. So when I got home and pondered what to do with the leftovers I decided to make this pasta dish that turned out quite good.
It is probably not one of the most original recipes. Especially since the end result seems very similar to many thai dishes. Nevertheless the taste is fabulous and it is so easy and fast to prepare that can be a life-saver for any rushed night….


RECEPIE
Serves two

1 chicken breast
1 ½ tbs. peanut butter
Soy sauce
Ginger or sesame seeds
Mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms or any other you like)
1 cup of cooked pasta

Mix the peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger. Cut the chicken breast in little squares. If you have time mix the chicken and the sauce and let it rest on the fridge for about an hour or up to a day. If not, just continue the instructions.
Cook the chicken and the sauce for about five minutes on a non-stick skillet. When the chicken is cooked through, take out of the heat and let it rest.
Sautee the vegetables with a little of olive oil. Add them to the chicken mixture. Mix all this into the cooked pasta. Warm it a little if necessary. Serve.

PAN DE YUCA

Yo vengo de una familia muy grande… Mi papi es el hermano mayor de cinco, y mi mami es la primera mujer de seis hermanos hombres (luego vino mi tía Mariquita). Cuando éramos chicos y aun ahora, ambas familias nos reunimos para eventos importantes o simplemente para ponernos al día de las novedades de cada cual. En todas estas reuniones la comida siempre esta presente y por supuesto es deliciosa. Antes, las abuelitas se encargaban de preparar los platos favoritos de todos. Hoy, casi todas las tías y las primas hemos probado algunas de las recetas.
Los panes de yuca son unos bocaditos muy famosos en Ecuador. En casi todas las familias hay alguna receta que pasa de mano en mano. En mi familia materna, el mejor pan de yuca lo hace mi tía Tina. Ella es la esposa del mayor de los hermanos de mi mama. Es súper cómica y cocina delicioso!
Cuando hace unos días me preparaba a recibir unas visitas decidí llamar a mi tía y pedirle su famosa receta. Inmediatamente ella me la explico. Recomendándome que lo más importante para que los panes queden bien era amasar bien todos los ingredientes y aumentar o disminuir las cantidades hasta que la masa quede uniforme y no se pegue a las manos. Como una masa de pie....Yo tuve que hacer la receta dos veces antes de acertar con los pancitos. La primera vez les puse mucha mantequilla y un queso muy grasoso que hicieron que mis pobres panes se derritieran en el horno e hicieran un charco de yuca. Las fotos a continuación son el resultado de mi segundo intento. La próxima vez que los haga, sin embargo, quiero ponerles un poco mas de queso y tal vez comprar un cheddar de mejor calidad. Como el queso es el principal ingrediente y lo que le da sabor a los panes vale la pena que este sea de lo mejor. Pienso que con esos dos pequeños cambios me puede quedar un pancito más sabroso.

RECETA
salen 20 panes chiquitos

½ tz de almidón de yuca cernido
1 cdta de royal (polvo de hornear)
1 huevo
11/2 tz de queso cheddar rojo rallado bien finito
1 cda margarina

Precalentar el horno a 350º

Cernir el almidón. Agregar el polvo de hornear y sal. Luego los huevos uno por uno. El queso rallado finito y la margarina. Amasar bien hasta que quede limpia la mano. Dejar reposar la masa en el refrigerador (en una funda plástica). Hacer pequeñas bolitas y hornear a 350º por 20 min.

NOTA: lo importante es que la masa tenga una consistencia tal que no se pegue a las manos. De ser necesario, añadir un poquito mas de almidón o mantequilla hasta lograr que la masa quede perfecta.

BOLON DE VERDE

Another typical dish of Ecuador is the so called “Bolon de Verde”. The dish’s main ingredient is “verde” or as they call it here in America “plantain”. This plantain is very similar to the banana, but contrary to the general belief does not come from the same plant. In other words plantains are not simply non-ripe bananas, but are another fruit altogether. In fact, I’m reluctant to call it a fruit since its main difference from the banana is that plantains are savory. Also, they are green on the outside and are not soft when peeled. I guess they are more like a potato in terms of texture…

In any event, Ecuador is one of the main producers of these tropical delicacies. Most dishes originated in our region have plantains as one of their ingredients. There are “patacones” (fried plantains), “chifles” (plantain chips), caldo de bola (a soup that contains plantain), and many others. The “bolon de verde”, however, holds a special place in my heart. In my immediate family they are not particularly popular, therefore whenever I can get my hands close to a good one of these I can’t contain myself!!!!

In Guayaquil, my hometown, there is a particular place where they make it early in the mornings and you can get them just out of the oven. I love to complement them with a hot cup of black coffee as a very South American breakfast. I hope you enjoy them too. Here goes the recipe:

RECIPE
(for two medium balls)
2 plantains
¼ cup of grated cheese (one that melts well. I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
¼ cup of cut fried bacon (I used ham to make it litter)
1 tbs. butter (or more, to taste)



First, boil the peeled plantains in salted water for 15 min. or until they are tender (just like you would cook potatoes to make mashed potatoes). When they are ready, drain the water out and mash the plantains. Make sure you do this while they are still warm, or else they would turn black. Also, don’t mind if they do not form a uniform paste, like potatoes do. If little pieces of plantain remain un- mashed it is OK… Add butter, cheese and ham. Mix well.
Form balls the size of a tennis ball, making sure everything sticks together. Make sure you don’t let the plantains cool completely and add more butter if necessary.
Bake at 350˚ for half an hour or until a little golden on the outside. Serve immediately.

NOTE: You can make these ahead and freeze them. When ready to serve, just add a little time for thawing or bake a little longer.