10 parts cumin
3 parts garlic, in the form you choose (fresh, powder or sauce)
2 parts chili powder
1 part tumeric
1 part salt
1-5 parts ají, fresh or not
1 part cilantro or coriander
1 part parsley, dry or fresh
1 part or less sugar
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Heather’s Chili Powder
Ingredients:
* 1 teaspoon paprika (ají de color)
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (merken if you live in Chile)
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder – (or add garlic sauce, or regular garlic when cooking and leave out garlic powder) I usually use a bit of real garlic.
Preparation:
Mix and store. It is super good! And really easy.
* 1 teaspoon paprika (ají de color)
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (merken if you live in Chile)
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder – (or add garlic sauce, or regular garlic when cooking and leave out garlic powder) I usually use a bit of real garlic.
Preparation:
Mix and store. It is super good! And really easy.
Monday, February 9, 2009
on diet and processed food
So we did a mini group post on what we spend on groceries with our little expat et al community here in cyberspace. After seeing most peoples' posts/comments I realized I'm relatively thrifty with my shopping in comparison to the others. I think the main reason for this is my diet. A couple years ago I read Energía sin límites by Deepak Chopra. I was feeling quite fatigued at the time and so I followed a bit of the advice he gives in order to be more energetic. He analyzes lifestyle in general, not just diet. But I applied some of his diet advice to my diet. Specifically I stopped eating sugar and flour. While I wasn't out to lose weight, I dropped five pounds in a month and I was already pretty slim. But, more importantly I achieved my goal: my energy level went way up. I'd say it doubled. Avoiding sugar and flour means avoiding ALMOST ALL processed foods: pasta, crackers, bread, candy, jelly, manjar, most cereals, etc. Looking for dinner ideas that didn't have sugar or flour, I ran across a vegan forum. I started reading about veganism and went flexi-vegan and thus gave up dairy as well as sugar and flour. I ate mostly produce, grains, legums, nuts, and chocolate.
Then I read somewhere else of the non-processed food diet, which is pretty much the same as the "avoid sugar and flour diet". Processed foods, aside from being less healthy than foods you might have found in your great-great grandma's pantry, are generally more expensive. Our grandmas' grandmas probably wouldn't recognize the "food" we eat as food. Like non-fat dairy creamer. What the h#%* is that?
The thing about eating vegan (vs. vegetarian) is that vegans eat NO dairy products. Dairy makes up a LARGE part of the grocery bill.(As do meat, cold cuts, and processed foods). Try cutting these elements out of your grocery bill, and see how it goes down!!
Now I've gone back to eating dairy products, but I do it less than before. And I've started to make kefir (yogur de pajaritos). I'm pretty excited about this. My "yogurt" is cheaper, better quality and healthier than the regular stuff. (If anyone want's "pajaritos" (kefir grains) to make their own kefir yogurt, let me know.)
One last reason the grocery bill isn't too high:
I shop for V's food too, but he's not one to put the food he wants on "the grocery list" and I'm not one to buy things that aren't on the list. I sometimes ask him what he wants, but if we are depending on my memory for him to get his food, there's a 50/50 chance I'll remember. Perhaps even less. I don't like to buy what I'm not sure we will eat because I've had to throw out mayo, cheese, eggs, milk, meat, etc. because often we don't finish the food before it starts to rot. My Scottish genes cannot handle throwing stuff out, especially food. (Before I get rid of clothing and other things, I often have to take a picture of it to help me part. Here's an example.) So meanwhile, the bill stays low.
Then I read somewhere else of the non-processed food diet, which is pretty much the same as the "avoid sugar and flour diet". Processed foods, aside from being less healthy than foods you might have found in your great-great grandma's pantry, are generally more expensive. Our grandmas' grandmas probably wouldn't recognize the "food" we eat as food. Like non-fat dairy creamer. What the h#%* is that?
The thing about eating vegan (vs. vegetarian) is that vegans eat NO dairy products. Dairy makes up a LARGE part of the grocery bill.(As do meat, cold cuts, and processed foods). Try cutting these elements out of your grocery bill, and see how it goes down!!
Now I've gone back to eating dairy products, but I do it less than before. And I've started to make kefir (yogur de pajaritos). I'm pretty excited about this. My "yogurt" is cheaper, better quality and healthier than the regular stuff. (If anyone want's "pajaritos" (kefir grains) to make their own kefir yogurt, let me know.)
One last reason the grocery bill isn't too high:
I shop for V's food too, but he's not one to put the food he wants on "the grocery list" and I'm not one to buy things that aren't on the list. I sometimes ask him what he wants, but if we are depending on my memory for him to get his food, there's a 50/50 chance I'll remember. Perhaps even less. I don't like to buy what I'm not sure we will eat because I've had to throw out mayo, cheese, eggs, milk, meat, etc. because often we don't finish the food before it starts to rot. My Scottish genes cannot handle throwing stuff out, especially food. (Before I get rid of clothing and other things, I often have to take a picture of it to help me part. Here's an example.) So meanwhile, the bill stays low.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
kefir
So I've started making kefir now!! In Chile it's called yogur de pajaritos so I thought it was actual yogurt, but it's not. It's kefir.
And I just found a website written by people experienced with making kefir and they provide some interesting info. Like the fact that you can freeze the cultures. They say they've done it for up to a year without adverse effects. I'm excited about that, because the instructions I got on how to take care of kefir were pretty high maintenance, onda, strain and wash them, and put them in high quality milk, daily. Dude, that means you can't go away for the weekend, or you have to take them with you. Although, I have just leave them in milk in the fridge for up to 5 days, because the fridge stunts their reproduction.
Anyway, I still have a bit to learn. But I'm already thinking of substituting kefir for buttermilk in my ma's buttermilk pancakes recipe.
And I just found a website written by people experienced with making kefir and they provide some interesting info. Like the fact that you can freeze the cultures. They say they've done it for up to a year without adverse effects. I'm excited about that, because the instructions I got on how to take care of kefir were pretty high maintenance, onda, strain and wash them, and put them in high quality milk, daily. Dude, that means you can't go away for the weekend, or you have to take them with you. Although, I have just leave them in milk in the fridge for up to 5 days, because the fridge stunts their reproduction.
Anyway, I still have a bit to learn. But I'm already thinking of substituting kefir for buttermilk in my ma's buttermilk pancakes recipe.
Friday, February 6, 2009
CHOPSUI DE CURRY
• carne, pollo, o cerdo, cortado en trocitos
• ahí picado
• ajo picado
• cebolla picada
Echa los ingredientes en un wok y cocina hasta que faltan muy poco para que la carne esté lista. Añade verduras cortados, como por ejemplo:
• brócoli
• pimentón rojo y/o verde
• dientes de dragón
• zanahoria
Para la salsa de curry, necesitas:
• aceite de sésamo, como 3 cucharadas grandes (o aceite vegetal)
• una lata de leche de coco
• una cucharada de curry en polvo CASERO, no esa wea que venden en el super, es como el fo### (pero bueno, si tenis ese curry entonces podis ocuparlo y añadir, qué sé sho, ajo picado, jengibre picado, comino, curcuma, pimienta, merken, etc.)
Mezclan estos tres ingredientes con un batidor (whisk) de metal. Después de añadir las verduras al wok, echa la salsa de curry. (Tambien se puede añadir agua para que sea más líquido.) Deja cocinar como 10 minutos. Mientras más tiempo, la comida se reposa en el curry, mejor va a ser el sabor. Esta comida es aún más rico recalentado el día siguiente. O sea, para un sabor más pulento, cocina el día anterior. (Se sirve con arroz.)
****Puedes comprar leche de coco y aceite de sésamo en Viña en una calle perpendicular a la calle Valparaíso; es la calle que tiene como 2 o más restoranes arabes donde venden falafel y schwarema o también en San Antonio con 13 norte en una tienda donde venden especias y comida de perros, etc.
****En Santiago, se puede comprar leche de coco en Bellas Artes en la calle Merced (the north side of the street) entre De la Barra y Miraflores. Vale entre 1.200 y 1.400 para una lata de leche de coco. También venden crema de coco, pero eso es más caro. Pero sirve igual. También se puede buscarlo en tiendas que venden comida china/asiatica (en el centro, providencia, patronato, etc.). Además la venden en algunos supermercados en la sección del copete. (Supongo para preparar piña coladas.) Por lo general, es más cara en los supermercados.
• ahí picado
• ajo picado
• cebolla picada
Echa los ingredientes en un wok y cocina hasta que faltan muy poco para que la carne esté lista. Añade verduras cortados, como por ejemplo:
• brócoli
• pimentón rojo y/o verde
• dientes de dragón
• zanahoria
Para la salsa de curry, necesitas:
• aceite de sésamo, como 3 cucharadas grandes (o aceite vegetal)
• una lata de leche de coco
• una cucharada de curry en polvo CASERO, no esa wea que venden en el super, es como el fo### (pero bueno, si tenis ese curry entonces podis ocuparlo y añadir, qué sé sho, ajo picado, jengibre picado, comino, curcuma, pimienta, merken, etc.)
Mezclan estos tres ingredientes con un batidor (whisk) de metal. Después de añadir las verduras al wok, echa la salsa de curry. (Tambien se puede añadir agua para que sea más líquido.) Deja cocinar como 10 minutos. Mientras más tiempo, la comida se reposa en el curry, mejor va a ser el sabor. Esta comida es aún más rico recalentado el día siguiente. O sea, para un sabor más pulento, cocina el día anterior. (Se sirve con arroz.)
****Puedes comprar leche de coco y aceite de sésamo en Viña en una calle perpendicular a la calle Valparaíso; es la calle que tiene como 2 o más restoranes arabes donde venden falafel y schwarema o también en San Antonio con 13 norte en una tienda donde venden especias y comida de perros, etc.
****En Santiago, se puede comprar leche de coco en Bellas Artes en la calle Merced (the north side of the street) entre De la Barra y Miraflores. Vale entre 1.200 y 1.400 para una lata de leche de coco. También venden crema de coco, pero eso es más caro. Pero sirve igual. También se puede buscarlo en tiendas que venden comida china/asiatica (en el centro, providencia, patronato, etc.). Además la venden en algunos supermercados en la sección del copete. (Supongo para preparar piña coladas.) Por lo general, es más cara en los supermercados.
CURRY EN POLVO
The ingredients in bold are the most important to include. It's not necessary to include every single ingredient, but these are fundamental.
Moler todo en molidor de café.
- 1 ahí rojo seco (dry red pepper) - I often substitute merken. In this case I don't grind the merken, I just add to the ground powder
- 2 Cucharadas de semillas de cilantro (coriander)
- 2 (c)ucharaditas de comino (cumin)
- ½ c mostaza seca (dry mustard)
- 1 c de pimienta negra (black peppercorns)
- 1 c alhova (fenugreek) fenugreco?
- ½ c hinojo (fennel)
- ½ c jengibre molido (seco) (ground ginger)
- 1 ½ c curcuma (tumeric)
Moler todo en molidor de café.
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
mace, poppy and sesame seeds, saffron, and tamarind
garam masala recipe
1 T cardamom pods
5 cm cinnamon stick
1 t black (or regular) cumin - I've never seen black cumin (kala jeera) in Chile.
1 t cloves
1 t black peppercorns
1/4 nutmeg
Blend in coffee grinder, if you have one.
In Chile, I buy my spices from these little stores that sell spices, nuts, grains, dog food in bulk. I used to by them in Viña del Mar just off the calle Valparaíso. I still buy them in Viña on San Antonio between 13 norte and 14 norte. I've just started buying spices, baking powder, and nuts near the vega. But these kinds of stores are quite prolific. There may be one in your neighborhood if you live in Viña or Santiago.
5 cm cinnamon stick
1 t black (or regular) cumin - I've never seen black cumin (kala jeera) in Chile.
1 t cloves
1 t black peppercorns
1/4 nutmeg
Blend in coffee grinder, if you have one.
In Chile, I buy my spices from these little stores that sell spices, nuts, grains, dog food in bulk. I used to by them in Viña del Mar just off the calle Valparaíso. I still buy them in Viña on San Antonio between 13 norte and 14 norte. I've just started buying spices, baking powder, and nuts near the vega. But these kinds of stores are quite prolific. There may be one in your neighborhood if you live in Viña or Santiago.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
to-die-for brownies
**Edited October 19th, 2009 & November 11th
Brownies:
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup (4 oz/120g) chocolate - solid chocolate
2 large eggs
Frosting:
3/4 cup chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ** or 1 teaspoon espresso powder.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. (180°C) Grease an 8" by 8" baking pan (or whatever you have on hand that fulfills this end).
To make the brownies: Melt the butter and add all brownie ingredients except the eggs and solid chocolate, stirring until the chocolate powder has melted; reheat briefly if necessary. Set aside to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is thick and shiny. Stir 3/4 cup of solid chocolate chunks/pieces into the batter, and spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, till the brownies are set and pulling away from the edges of the ban. Remove from the oven, and set on a rack to cool to room temperature.
To make the glaze: Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chunks with the heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or espresso powder, if desired. Whisk until shiny and smooth. Smooth over the cooled brownies. For easiest cutting, let brownies rest for several hours or overnight.
Good chocolate: Sarotti. Um, another business idea: in collaboration with Sahne-nuss, make a brownie mix and market it.
Anyway, I'll update this recipe once I know more exact quantities.
**Vanilla is another thing someone should import to Chile in mass. God, the artificial stuff is a joke. I'd rather add WATER to my recipes (and I do). I bought the real stuff here once or twice in a repostería store near the metro manuel montt. 8.000 whopping pesos. $16 dollars. For a regular bottle of vanilla. It was from some random African country. I remember in Mexico, vanilla was really cheap. It wasn't probably super good quality, but it's better than the water they sell here, labeled as "vanilla extract". Translation...someone should import vanilla to Chile from Mexico (or maybe El Salvador or Ecuador, who knows?) Actually, I guess it can be easily made. You just need to import vanilla beans.
Brownies:
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup (4 oz/120g) chocolate - solid chocolate
2 large eggs
Frosting:
3/4 cup chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ** or 1 teaspoon espresso powder.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. (180°C) Grease an 8" by 8" baking pan (or whatever you have on hand that fulfills this end).
To make the brownies: Melt the butter and add all brownie ingredients except the eggs and solid chocolate, stirring until the chocolate powder has melted; reheat briefly if necessary. Set aside to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is thick and shiny. Stir 3/4 cup of solid chocolate chunks/pieces into the batter, and spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, till the brownies are set and pulling away from the edges of the ban. Remove from the oven, and set on a rack to cool to room temperature.
To make the glaze: Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chunks with the heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or espresso powder, if desired. Whisk until shiny and smooth. Smooth over the cooled brownies. For easiest cutting, let brownies rest for several hours or overnight.
Good chocolate: Sarotti. Um, another business idea: in collaboration with Sahne-nuss, make a brownie mix and market it.
Anyway, I'll update this recipe once I know more exact quantities.
**Vanilla is another thing someone should import to Chile in mass. God, the artificial stuff is a joke. I'd rather add WATER to my recipes (and I do). I bought the real stuff here once or twice in a repostería store near the metro manuel montt. 8.000 whopping pesos. $16 dollars. For a regular bottle of vanilla. It was from some random African country. I remember in Mexico, vanilla was really cheap. It wasn't probably super good quality, but it's better than the water they sell here, labeled as "vanilla extract". Translation...someone should import vanilla to Chile from Mexico (or maybe El Salvador or Ecuador, who knows?) Actually, I guess it can be easily made. You just need to import vanilla beans.
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