Aphorisms of a Dancing Girl!

Aguachile: Raw Vegan - Using Green Garbanzos "Mexican Edamame" - Mexican Style "Ceviche"

2/22/2017

Aguachile
Mexican-Style "Ceviche"
Out of Sinaloa Mexico
Raw Vegan/Gluten-Free/Oil-Free

Ingredients:
1 cup of Fresh Raw Garbanzos
1 Cucumber
1/4 of a medium Red Onion
1 Avocado

Marinade Ingredients:
1 Serrano Chile
a few sprigs of Cilantro
1/4 cup of Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Accompaniments:
Jicama Chips
Seaweed or Dulse Flakes (optional for a "sea-like" flavor)

Directions

Clean & peel your Green Garbanzos. Take them out of the husk and wash.

Cut the Jicama in half. Peel the Jicama. You can use a potato peeler.
Slice your jicama into "chips".

Slice your cucumber and red onion.

Add the marinade ingredients to a blender and pulse til smooth.

Add the garbanzos, cucumber and red onion to a bowl. Add the marinade and mix well.

Cut your avocado in half and peel off the skin. Slice and arrange on your plate.

Serve the salad onto your plate. Serve with Jicama chips.

Learn how to make this dish by checking out the video in my youtube channel "Spilling The Beans":

Vegan Version of "Chicken" Tinga Tostadas - Gluten Free, Oil Free

12/1/2016

"Chicken" Tinga Tostadas
(Chipotle Tomato Sauce)
Vegan/Gluten-Free/Oil-Free
This Recipe is from Puebla Mexico

Ingredients:
1 - 12 oz package of Broccoli Slaw
2 oz of Dried Maitake Mushrooms
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 a medium Onion
4 Roma Tomatoes
4 Chipotle Peppers In Adobo + 4 tablespoons of the Adobo sauce
1/2 tablespoon of Mexican Oregano (whole)
a few sprigs of Cilantro
Salt to taste
Tortillas

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You can watch how this dish is made by checking out my YouTube Video here:
https://youtu.be/iMZ5mqZUV7g

Directions:

The "chicken" in this dish is a Japanese mushroom called Maitake otherwise known as the "Hen Of The Woods" . They have a very smoky scent and they have a chicken like flavor. You can find these in an Asian grocery store or you can buy them online. You can always adjust this recipe to whatever mushroom or vegetable you have but I do recommend trying these mushrooms.

Take the dried mushrooms and soak them in water for a few hours til they soften up.

Chop your onion and mince your garlic. Slice your softened mushrooms into bite sized pieces.

In a blender, add the tomatoes, chipotles and adobo sauce. Puree til smooth.

I didn't use oil in this dish. You can if you like. I prefer to water saute. In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1/4 cup of water or Mushroom broth. Add the chopped onion and garlic to cook until translucent. Add the broccoli slaw and mushrooms. Stir the mixture and cook til they soften up. Add the chipotle tomato sauce and oregano. Let the whole mixture cook for a few minutes. Add salt to taste. Once done, turn the heat off and stir in a few chopped sprigs of cilantro.

To make the tostadas, you take a couple of tortillas and put them in a toaster oven. Watch them carefully to make sure they don't burn up. I usually put the setting to dark and pull them out when they start to puff up and look done. I like making my tostadas this way because store bought tostadas tend to be deep-fried and way too salty. I don't use oil to make them and I use alot less salt on my own. I also find that they keep their shape as I eat them better than store bought ones which have a tendency to crumble. If you don't have a toaster oven, you can bake them at 400 degrees for 3-5min per side.

Pile the tinga mixture on top of your tostadas. You can top them with all sorts of stuff, including avocado, vegan crema, salsa, cilantro, greens, vegan cheese and more... I just ate them like this with a cup of black beans on the side.

Tinga can also be used for tacos, burritos, sopes, huaraches, nachos, salads and more.

Spicy Quinoa Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

10/1/2016

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup of dry Quinoa
2 cups of cooked Black Beans (or 1 can)
1 ear of Corn
1 Red Onion
2 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup of sliced Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
2 Celery Ribs
a few sprigs of Cilantro

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Spicy Peach Jalapeno Preserves
Salt to taste.

Directions:

Cook the quinoa according to your package directions. Let it cool down.
Cook your black beans unless your using canned.

Chop up all your vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together.

Take a big bowl and mix the quinoa, vegetables and vinaigrette together. Stir well.

Let it marinade for a few hours in the fridge.

*You can make the preserves yourself with my recipe or you can use whatever you have on hand.

Here's the link for the recipe to my peach jalapeno preserves:

http://fatmanlive.weebly.com/dgs-musings/spicy-peach-jalapeno-preserves

Salad Topping Mix: Vegan & Gluten-Free

8/12/2016

Homemade Salad Topping
Make your own mixture instead of paying for it.

(Make your own depending on what YOU have in your pantry)

Basic Ingredients:
Nuts
Dried Fruit
Seeds
Spices

As prepared in the photo:
1/4 cup Pistacchios
1/4 cup Cashews
1/4 cup Cranberries
1/4 cup Hemp Hearts
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup Pepitas
1 tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
1/8 teaspoon Cumin
1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne

Directions:
Put all the ingredients into a container. Mix it thoroughly.
Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons over a salad. Enjoy!

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Homemade Chamoy - Fruit Salad & Mangoneada (Vegan & Sugar-Free)

7/31/2016

Homemade
CHAMOY
(Vegan & Sugar-Free)

I love Chamoy but commercially available Chamoy is sweetened with a lot of sugar. So here's my version of Chamoy. I decided to sweeten the sauce naturally using Papaya preserves instead of sugar. So its delicious and sweet without being sickly sweet. The result was a sweet, sour, spicy and tangy taste unlike any other Chamoy you've ever had. The recipe includes a simple recipe for making your own apricot and papaya preserves.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Apricot Preserves
1/4 cup Papaya Preserves
2 tablespoons of Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Ancho Chile Powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse til smooth.

Use this sauce in fruit salads, mangoneadas and more.

Below are the recipes for the Apricot and Papaya preserves.

The above photos illustrate making Apricot Preserves.

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Sugar-Free Apricot Preserves:
1 pound of Apricots
a twist of lemon or lime juice

Take the seeds out of the apricots. Combine the apricots and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook and stir until they thicken.

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Sugar-Free "Dulce De Papaya" Papaya Preserves:
2 cups of chopped Ripe Papaya
a twist of lemon or lime juice

Make sure to pick out a very ripe Papaya as it will be used as the sweetener in the sauce.
Combine the papaya and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook and stir until they thicken.

The photos below illustrate making Dulce De Papaya (Papaya Preserves).

Fruit Salad With Chamoy
Ensalada de Frutas con Chamoy

Ingredients:
1/2 Jicama
1 Cucumber
2 Mangos
1 cup Pineapple
Chamoy to taste

Directions:
Chop up the ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Top with Chamoy sauce.

Mangoneada

Ingredients:
1 cup of frozen Mango chunks
1/2 cup of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 tablespoon of Lime Juice
2 tablespoons of Chamoy Sauce
a pinch of Ancho Chile Powder

Directions:
Put the frozen mango chunks, orange juice and lime juice into a blender. Pulse til smooth.

Put a tablespoon of Chamoy at the bottom of the bowl. Add the mango puree. Top with a tablespoon of Chamoy sauce and a little pinch of chile powder.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Cactus Salad with Vegan Queso Fresco - Ensalada de Nopales con Vegan Queso Fresco

7/8/2016

Cactus Salad with Vegan Queso Fresco
Ensalada De Nopales Con Vegan Queso Fresco
(Vegan/Gluten-Free/WeightLoss & Diabetic Friendly)

Salad Ingredients:
3 cups of chopped Cactus Paddles (Nopales)
2 cups of Black Beans (or 1 can)
1 Tomato
1/2 an Onion
1 de-seeded Jalapeno
1 clove of minced Garlic
a few sprigs of Cilantro
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/4 cup of Lime Juice
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
Salt to taste

Toppings:
Queso Fresco
Avocado
Cilantro

Vegan "Que-so Fresco" Ingredients:
1/2 cup Raw Cashews
2 tablsepoons of Nutritional Yeast
1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
Juice of 1 Key Lime
1/2 cup of Water
1 tablespoon of Yello Unpasteurized Miso
1 tbsp of Agar Agar Flakes (or 1 teaspoon of Agar Agar powder)

Directions For The Salad:

Boil 4 cups of water. When the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and 3 cups of chopped cactus (nopales). Simmer for about 20 min til the cactus has changed color and is tender. Drain and rinse under cold water once they are done.

Make your dressing by mixing the olive oil and lime juice together.

Chop your tomatoes, onions and garlic. Put all the salad ingredients and dressing into a bowl. Mix well. Marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Serve with chopped Avocado, Queso Fresco and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Directions To Make The Vegan Queso Fresco:

In your food processor, pulse the cashews and nutritional yeast until the mixture is crumbled up but not oily or buttery. Be careful not to pulse too much.

In a saucepan over medium heat whisk together the water, agar agar flakes, lime juice, garlic powder and miso. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and then let it simmer for about 5 min. The agar agar flakes should be completely dissolved.

Add the agar agar liquid to the cashews in the food processor, and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Taste and add salt if needed.

Pour the cheese mix into a mold or bowl. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Pop the cheese out of the mold and crumble it up.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Healthy Nutty Mexican Picadillo (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

5/21/2016

Healthy Nutty Vegan Mexican Picadillo
(Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Great for TACOS & Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Jicama (or Potato or Sweet Potato)
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 Onion
2 Portabella Mushrooms
1 Pasilla Pepper (or Bell Pepper)
2 tablespoons of Veggie Broth or Water
1 tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
1/8 teaspoon of Paprika
a few sprigs of Cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional Add-Ins for flavor and nutrition:
1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne
1/8 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon of Nutritional Yeast

Toppings:
Salsa
Avocado
Non-Dairy Crema
Cilantro

Directions:
Chop up your vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Take a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, peppers, jicama and dry spices together til the onions and jicama soften up.

Add the mushrooms, nuts, broth and lime juice. Exclude the cilantro.

Cook til the mushrooms and veggies are done to your liking.

Top with cilantro. Serve warm.

You can use this nutty mixture in tacos, burritos, sopes, tostadas, salads gorditas... etc...

As pictured, I used it in a taco salad. I topped it with salsa, avocado, vegan crema and cilantro.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Homemade Pink Jicama Chipotle Cabbage Sauerkraut

4/26/2016

Homemade
Pink Jicama Chipotle Cabbage Sauerkraut

"Sauerkraut - The Original Probiotic Superfood"

Sauerkraut Basic Recipe:
1 Cabbage
1-2 tablespoons of Unprocessed Salt (i.e. Sea salt, Pickling salt, Himalayan salt... etc)
Spices

You'll also need:
Mason Jars
Cheese Cloth

As prepared:
1/2 of a Green Cabbage
1/2 of a Red Cabbage
2-3 tablespoons of Unprocessed Salt
1/2 of a medium sized Jicama
1 Apple
1 small thumb of Ginger
4 Carrots
5 cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon of ground Coriander
1 teaspoon of Chipotle Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cumin

DIRECTIONS:

Wash your mason jars and utensils thoroughly.

Shred the cabbage, jicama, apple, ginger, garlic and carrots as finely as possible. I used a food processor with slice blade for cabbage and shred for everything else. You can use a knife if you prefer.

Sprinkle the mixture of vegetables with salt and massage thoroughly. The volume of the vegetables will decrease. Let the mix sit for about an hour so that the vegetables will release more water.

After an hour, massage the mixture til the vegetables feel as though they've softened up. There will be a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Add the spices and mix well.

Put the mixture into mason jars. There was enough for two large jars. Make sure to fill them with the liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Push the mixture down as much as possible, compress tightly into the jar. The water should completely cover the whole mixture. If there isn't enough water to cover the mixture, then add more water til it's all covered up.

Take your cheese cloth and cut it into a square that will fit over the mouth of the jar. Take out the top of the lid. Place the cheese cloth over the mouth of the jar and then use the tight fitting plate to close over the cloth.

***You don't want to close it with a regular lid, the jar could explode from the gas produced if you do.***

Place the jars into a dark room or closet at room temperature for about 7 days. Check on it everyday just in case it starts to leak liquid. If the cheese cloth gets soaked from the gases, feel free to replace it.

After 7 days, smell the sauerkraut before eating, it should smell sour. Make sure there is no mold. If it smells off or looks bad, don't eat it.

Keep the completed sauerkraut refrigerated.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Pink Jicama Cabbage Slaw

3/28/2016

Pink Jicama Cabbage Slaw

Basic Recipe Ingredients:
1/2 head of Red Cabbage
!/2 head of Green Cabbage
1/2 chopped Jicama
1/2 cup Soy or Coconut Yogurt
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Optional Ingredients:
a few sprigs of fresh Dill
a few sprigs of fresh Mint
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice the cabbage finely with a knife or your food processor.

Chop the jicama into cubes.

Put everything together in a bowl and mix with the yogurt, vinegar and herbs. Salt to taste.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Brunch Dish - Melon Avocado Salad w/Balsamic Rose Glaze

3/12/2016

Brunch Dish
Melon Avocado Salad
with a Balsamic Rose Glaze

2 Recipes with Cantaloupe & Rose Water.

Ingredients:
1/4 of a Cantaloupe
1/4 cup of Non-Dairy Yogurt
1/2 Large Avocado
5 Strawberries
a handful of chopped Mint

Balsamic Rose Glaze Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon of Rose Water
a pinch of Cinnamon
a pinch of salt

Directions:
Peel and quarter the melon. Cut the melon into wedges.
Peel the avocado and cut it into wedges. Chop the mint.

Put the vinegar and syrup into a small frying pan. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer. Stir in the cinnamon and salt. Let the mixture reduce to a syrupy glaze.
The more you reduce, the sweeter the glaze.

Arrange the melon, avocado, strawberries and yogurt onto a bowl/plate.
Drizzle with the glaze. Sprinkle with mint.

Melon Rose Milk
Thirst Quencher

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Non-Dairy Milk
1/4 Cantaloupe (about 1 cup chopped)
1/2 tablespoon of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Rose Water
Ice Cubes
Sweetener to taste.

Directions:
Put it all into a blender. Pulse til smooth.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Red HOT Slaw with Kelp Noodles

2/28/2016

Red HOT Slaw
with Kelp Noodles

Ingredients:
1 Red Cabbage
5 Carrots
1 Red Onion
2 cups of Edamame
a handful of Parsley
1 - 12oz bag of Kelp Noodles

Dressing:
1 teapoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Garlic
2 tablespoons of Sesame Oil
1/4 cup of Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Tamari
1 teaspoon of Cracked Red Pepper
1 teaspoon of Coconut Sugar (or sweetener of choice)

Directions:

Take the kelp noodles out of the bag and rinse them off. Soak them in a bowl of water for a few hours, this will soften them up to eat. They do not need to be cooked.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing.

Prepare the edamame by boiling water and cooking them for 4-5 min. Rinse them in cold water. Pop them out of their pods. You can also steam them if you prefer.

Shred the cabbage, carrots, onion and parsley.

In a big bowl, combine all the vegetables, noodles, edamame and dressing together. Toss well.

Serve with Avocado slices.

LUPE'S KITCHEN CORNER: THE FLAT BELLY SPICY CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING

1/9/2016

THE FLAT BELLY
SPICY CREAMY
AVOCADO DRESSING

This makes a great dip or dressing depending on how much milk you add. For a dip, add only 1/4 cup of milk. For dressing, add 1/2 - 3/4 cup of milk depending on how thick you like it. This is a flat belly dressing cuz it has MUFA's from the Avocado.

Ingredients:
1/2 Large Avocado
1/2 cup of Plain Non-Dairy Yogurt
2 Cloves Of Garlic
2 Shallots
1 Jalapeno
1/4 tsp Cumin
3/4 cup of Non-Dairy Milk (1/4 cup for dip, 3/4 cup for dressing)
Juice Of 1 Lime
a handful of Cilantro
Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions:
Put everything into a blender and pulse til smooth. Add more milk if its too thick.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: MUSHROOM NUT PATE - "TEX MEX NUT MEAT SPREAD"

1/2/2016

MUSHROOM NUT PATE
"TEX-MEX NUT MEAT SPREAD"

The basic recipe is mushrooms, nuts, veggies and herbs.
This is a great faux meat-like alternative for vegans. I especially love stuffing the "nut meat" spread into avocados.

Ingredients:
1 cup raw soaked Pecans (or any nut)
3 Medium Sized Portobello Mushrooms
6 Shiitake Mushrooms (or any mushrooms)
1/4 Red Onion
1 Celery Rib
1 Garlic Clove
2 tbsp Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 tsp Miso
1/2 tbsp Tamari
1 tsp Lime Juice
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tbsp Cilantro
1/4 tsp Salt

Directions:
Dissolve some salt into a bowl of water. Soak the pecans for an hour. In another bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes. If using dry shiitake mushrooms, soak those too. Saute the portobello mushrooms in a little bit of oil.

After the hour, drain the pecans, mushrooms and tomatoes. Put all the ingredients into a food processor. You can pulse til its smooth or you can allow it to be chunky. I chose to pulse til smooth. You can vary the herbs and spices to what you like.

How do you eat this? On crackers, wraps, stuff an avocado... the possibilities are endless.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Spicy Carrot Salad

11/29/2015

Spicy Carrot Salad

This is my take on a popular French salad using shredded carrots.

Ingredients:
3 Cups Shredded Carrots
1/2 Medium Red Onion
1 Tbsp Dried Cilantro (Substitute Fresh)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice Of 1 Lemon
1/4 tsp Crushed Garlic
1/4 tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Agave Nectar

Directions:

In a small bowl, add all the vinaigrette ingredients together and whisk.

In a bigger bowl, add the shredded carrot, cilantro and chopped red onion.

Add the vinaigrette to the bigger bowl and mix the whole thing together.

Let the salad marinade for an hour or more before serving.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Lemony Kale Salad

7/5/2015

Lupe's Lemony Kale Salad

Dressing:
Juice of 2 Lemons
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

Salad Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Curly Kale
1/2 cup of Garbanzos
1/4 cup of Craisins
1 large Cucumber

Directions:

In a BIG bowl mix the dressing ingredients.

Wash the kale and strip if off the thick stem so that all you have left is the leaf.

Add the kale to the bowl, using your hands to start rubbing the kale into the dressing. Rub and tear the kale leaves into the dressing. The more you rub the kale, the more the plant fibers are broken down and the easier it will be to eat the kale raw. Rub the kale until your comfortable with its texture.

Add the rest of the ingredients into the salad and mix.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Mexican Street Food - Spicy Mojito Jicama Fruit Salad

6/11/2015

Spicy Mojito Jicama Fruit Salad

No alcohol in this dish but it is delish with the crushed mint. This is a common street dish in Mexico that is usually served up in spears with nasty msg filled powders and chili sauces. I've changed it up and made it healthier by making my own dressing.

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tbsp of ancho chile powder (more if you like it really spicy)
juice of 10 key limes
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of coconut sugar
2 tbsp of avocado oil
1 Small bunch of fresh Mint

Fruit Salad Ingredients:

1 jicama
2 pineapples
3 mangos
3 large cucumbers
1 Small bunch of fresh Mint

Make the dressing by using a muddler to crush the mint and lime together to release the mint oils into the lime juice. Add in the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix well.

Peel and chop the jicama, pineapple, cucumber and mango. Put all the fruit salad ingredients together into a big bowl with a few fresh mint leaves. Toss the fruit salad with the dressing and let marinade before serving

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: The Loco Peruano's Vegan Ceviche

6/10/2015

Vegan Ceviche

Salad Ingredients:
1 jar of hearts of palm
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 small red onion
1 de-seeded pasilla pepper
4 roma tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro
2 large cucumbers

Marinade Ingredients:
2 tbsp of avocado oil
2 cloves of garlic
the juice of 6 key limes
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
a bit of grated lime zest
salt & pepper to taste

Toppings:
Avocado
Cilantro

Directions:
Chop up all the salad ingredients.
Mix the marinade ingredients together.
Pour the marinade into the salad.
Mix well and marinade for a couple of hours.
Top with sliced avocado and garnish with a bit of cilantro.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - Cucumber Salad

3/12/2015

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 Cucumbers

2 Tomatoes

2 Ears of raw white corn (do not cook)

2 Jalapenos

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 Large Red Onion

1 bunch of cilantro

3 Limes

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

Juice the limes. Slice the raw corn kernels off the cob. Chop the rest of the ingredients into bite sized pieces. Mix together with the juice and olive oil. Let marinade before serving.