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Making Tortillas at the Mercado Guamilito

March 21, 2012 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Making-TortillasOne way to learn about a place is to visit the local market.  It’s a glimpse into life in the local culture.  And here, clearly, tortillas rule.  There are rows and rows of stands with gas flames fueling hot metal platters where women flip the hand made tortillas they’ve just patted together.  I try not to think about the aluminum platters that sit on the intensely hot fires, but they have similar pans for home use hanging in stalls just beyond the Damas de Tortillas (Tortilla Ladies — my term for them).   The ones in use by the Damas are worn and warped and well used.  The tortillas sit on the heat for just a few seconds before being turned and then are put into plastic bags, ready to be sold.

I hope you enjoy this short video.  It was fun to make using the Slient Movie iPhone app and a few brief video clips.

There’s no need to ever purchase packaged tortillas here when countless thousands are available just a few minutes away.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Corn, Damas, Market, Mercado Guamilito, Tortillas, Video

Making Corn Tortillas Work with an Electric Stove — Is Necessity the Mother of Invention Here?

February 19, 2012 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Carred-TortillaThey say that necessity is the mother of invention and I suppose that’s true, but it’s also the realization that not all ideas have a place in this world.

I haven’t written about breakfast tortillas in a long time.  I haven’t written about them because I haven’t been making them.  Anytime I want to I can find a corn tortilla in some fashion, whether it’s just heated up and sitting between warm towels in the break room or at any meal, any day of the week in any restaurant in town.

As a result, I haven’t had the desire to make one of my favorite breakfasts since I moved here.  But I’ve been trying to stay away from them at work for a week or so because I don’t want to lose my taste for them and because it’s time I get back on the eating wagon and stay away from the huge portions and abundance of carbs the local cuisine offers.

But I’ve had a craving the past couple of weekends.  Last weekend I made the usual — a tortilla, cheese, bacon, salsa fresca and a poached egg.

Cracked-Egg

Poached-Egg-Breakfast-Tortilla

It’s simple really, and I’ve written about it countless times.  Just scroll down the pages of this link and you’ll find more corn tortilla posts than is normal for a blog that is not singularly focused on the tortilla.  Anyhooo… tt’s always a good breakfast and without question, satisfies the craving.

Finished-Breakfast-Tortilla

I poached and egg, added a make-shift salsa fresca, a squeeze of lime and a splash of green Tobasco sauce and breakfast was done.  It was a good day.

Coffee

A nice Cappuccino would have been a perfect beverage to have with this meal, but alas, I don’t even have a coffee maker.  No worries, I had this fabulous hot cup at lunch yesterday and thought it would be a perfect transitional photo for what you’re about to see, because with perfection isn’t always the way the world spins.  And the little experiment you’ll see below is an example of just that — imperfection.

Toasting-Tortillas-1

Egads!  WHAT is going on here?  I like to hold a tortilla over a gas flame and let it get crispy and a bit charred as you see here, but as you can see, I don’t have that option.  It’s been many years since I’ve had to cook using an electric stove and it’s challenging.  The elements heat up pretty quickly, but they are slow to cool and as you know, you can’t regulate the temperature very well.

But that didn’t stop me from trying.  I turned the dial up to high, waited for the coil to heat up and threw the tortilla down.  It got to work quickly and what pretty char marks.  The problem is that the tortilla didn’t really get “cooked.”  It ended up tough and chewy.  Oh well, así es la vida — that’s life.  I don’t think I’ll be charring peppers this way anytime soon, but it was worth a try.  Anyone have a match?  Or perhaps a blow torch?

Finished-Breakfast

Next time I’ll stick with the work cafeteria.  They’ve got this nailed.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Breakfast, Corn Tortilla, Corn Tortillas, Egg, Electric, Gas, Honduras, LG, Poached, Range, Stovetop

A Creamy Breakfast Tortilla With a Little Bit of France Included

July 13, 2011 By Fran 3 Comments
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Avocado-Brie-Tortilla-Recipe

It’s funny.  I received a Tweet from a friend on Sunday wishing me a happy birthday and noting that she hoped I’d allow myself something NOT tortilla-related.

I came back from my usual Sunday Weight Watchers meeting excited about achieving the 10% milestone, made breakfast and sat down to see what was going on in the world online.

And there it was, a message from my friend Casey of Good.Food.Stories.

Twitter-Tweet

But it was too late.  It didn’t take me more than 2 minutes during the meeting this week to decide what I was going to have for breakfast.  The topic for the meeting this week was about produce — how to make fruits and vegetables more fun, interesting and delicious to eat.  These things are not problems in my world, but I know this is an issue for many.  We were talking about all kinds of produce and had an exercise to come up with fruit and vegetable recipes.  That was a no-brainer for me.  When asked to team up to come up with creative recipes, the Annatto Seed Infused Oil and Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Salad recipes fell right out of my mouth along with the recipe for a Grilled Nectarine from my very first blog.

Turning-Breakfast-Tortilla

Nothing earth-shattering there, but, when talk about avocados came up and the grumbling about how many points an avocado has began, it became and instant challenge. My first thought was — how about cutting an avocado in half and “stuffing” it with shrimp and making it a 10 point lunch?  A little while later, while walking to the car, Susan, another Sunday regular stopped me to talk about how much she loves the little 2 point Brie Bites from Trader Joe’s and how she uses them as a meal with a cracker or bread for a quick, easy and delicious meal.

And that’s when the light bulb went off!  I had a perfectly ripe avocado in the house and would pick up another package of those one portion Brie Bites and make myself a luxurious Breakfast Tortilla.   More French than Mexican.  A Corn Tortilla filled with Brie Cheese, Chunks of Avocado, diced Tomato and Onion all topped with a splash of that Aji Verde sauce I can’t get enough of.

French-Tortilla-Breakfast

No real recipe here … just a few ingredients and 5 points later and you have breakfast!  How can you go wrong with that?

So, the good news is that you don’t have to shy away from avocados.  This is all about portion control and keeping fun, flavorful foods IN your diet, not avoiding them.  Be good to yourself, don’t avoid the things you like, just make wise choices about how you will add them to your day.

A Litte Bit of France in this Breakfast Tortilla
#ratingval# from #reviews# reviews
Print
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
A breakfast tortilla with Brie cheese and Avocado makes for a decadently creamy 7 point treat
Ingredients
  • 1 6″ Corn Tortilla
  • 1 Trader Joe’s Mini Brie Bites, cut in slices
  • 1/4 ripe medium Avocado, chunked
  • 3 Cherry Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 tablespoon diced Onions
  • 1.5 tablespoons teaspoons Aji Verde Sauce, divided
Instructions
  1. Toast the tortilla until slightly charred. You can do this over an open flame, on a grill, or under a broiler pan. Keep your eye on it to make sure you don’t torch the entire tortilla.
  2. When the tortilla has toasted, heat a small skillet with 5 pumps of light olive oil spray.
  3. When hot, place the tortilla on the pan.
  4. Add the brie to 1/2 of the tortilla and let melt slightly.
  5. Add the avocado, the onions and tomatoes and cook until the avocado is warm to hot.
  6. Add a tablespoon of the Aji Verde on top of the tomato and onion mixture
  7. Fold the tortilla and hold down with the spatula
  8. Slide a remaining Aji Verde on top, remove from the pan and serve.
Serving size: 1 Tortilla Calories: 201 Fat: 12.4 Carbohydrates: 19.1 Fiber: 4.9 Protein: 6.8
Notes

This tortilla is good any time of day. It’s a filling breakfast, but also makes a wonderful appetizer. Cut into halves for a passed finger food.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe
1.2.4
Filed Under: All, All Posts, From the Sea Tagged With: Avocado, Birthday, Breakfast, Brie, Recipe, Tortilla

It’s a Tortilla Frenzy for Cinco de Mayo!

May 5, 2011 By Fran 4 Comments
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Shrimp nestled in a tortillaThis is going to be a long post.  I usually don’t follow the pack and write a post just because it’s a holiday.  I like to “do my own thing.”  But I LOVE LOVE all things Mexico, especially the food and I have so many posts about Tortillas and Pepper and Tacos and Quesadillas and Tomatillos and … well, so many delicious flavors from south of the border that I decided to bring a few of them right here to your desktop.

There’s a lot here and the Weight Watchers Points Plus values are noted for many of the recipes even though they come from my other blog, FRANtasticFood where I never really cared about calories or fat or carbohydrates or fats or anything else remotely culinarily healthy.

This first recipe is one that I entered into a Williams-Sonoma employee contest and never heard any feedback on.  It has to be said … I put a whole lot of work into this recipe and although it was tough, I had to eat this dish countless times  — ok It wasn’t tough at all and I think it may have started my out of control tortilla eating addiction.

So with that, I give you the Cinco de Mayo edition of ThinRecipes.  Enjoy!

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Grilled Chipotle-Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

by Fran@frantasticfood.com on June 14, 2010[edit]

My Calphalon Contest Entry with Chipotle-Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

Plate of Tacos Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

I’ve had a thing for shrimp this year.   I guess not really just this year, more like ever since I “discovered” the Korean supermarkets in town.  The fish, plentiful and fresh, swimming around in a wall of sparkling clean tanks is quite a sight to see in a local supermarket and the bins with all sizes of shrimp sitting on refrigerated tables immersed in ice with scoops and plastic bags at the ready for customers to dive into is always inviting.

 

 

Ready Shrimp 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

That in mind, when I learned about the Calphalon contest for Williams-Sonoma employees I knew just what I was going to do and it involved shrimp and a grill pan.  Specifically the new Calphalon Kabob pan.   Save that thought for a moment.

Suculent Shrimp 1024x482 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

I know the shrimp aren’t domestic, heck, it’s tough to find US fished shrimp in our area at all and for that reason the imported shrimp come in well priced; between $4.99 and $5.99/lb. for medium shrimp.  Then again, it’s likely US fished shrimp is about to sky rocket and will probably be high for a very long time to come.  Even if the oil stops flowing into the ocean, it’s not looking good for wildlife in the shrimp fishing region of the Gulf of Mexico.  Sad.

Anyway …

Grilling the Shrimp 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

Once I decided shrimp using the new kabob pan was on the menu I needed to decide what to do with them.  You know planning is not my usual M.O.  I’m more the — look in the kitchen and see what ingredients are there waiting to be combined to make a meal with type.  But I had a craving for tacos and while fish tacos are great, I’ve yet to come up with a fish taco recipe I’ve been successful with so I thought — ah ha!  Use the grill pan and make tacos using shrimp.

I’d never had a shrimp taco before, but it sounded darn good and the convenience of skewering the shrimp and being able to turn them in multiples would make the chore of grilling that much easier.  The pan has notches at different levels so that if the shrimp got done before I was ready to build the tacos, I could prop them up in the upper notch to keep them warm.  Crafty engineering.

Tamarind and Lemongrass1 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

It didn’t stop there.  I needed some flavor.  I couldn’t call these things tacos just because I wrapped them in a corn tortilla, so what was I going to pull together?  I went to the fridge to forage.  In front of me sat a small glass bowl with the remainder of a can of Chipotle in Adobo.  Smoky peppers in a hot, tart sauce.  GREAT!  Chipotle Grilled Shrimp Tacos. Yum!  As I pulled the refrigerator door closed I spied another, smaller glass bowl.  Tamarind paste!

Tamarind Close Up Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

And on the counter was a glass with a small stalk of rooting lemongrass.  Score!  Chipotle and Tamarind Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Lemongrass and Cabbage-Avocado Slaw.  I was creating a Latino/Asian Fusion dish.

Suculent Shrimp Tacos 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

I made it once and the result was a fabulous dinner.  But it needed work.   The texture was good.  The taste was great.  The meal was delicious.  Never satisfied, I decided I needed to try a 2nd time to make the tortillas, the vehicles for getting the shrimp to my mouth easier to handle — the tortillas needed help.

Taco Dinner Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

This time I added a side dish;  Corn on the cob with butter, salt and queso fresco.  Perfect combo.  I also decided that instead of steaming the tortillas I’d put them on the grill pan for a little color and a more pliable texture that resisted just a bit when I bit into the tacos.

Close Up of Shrimp 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

But wait!  That’s not all … I needed a 3rd try so that I could get the measurements right.  Remember a couple of months ago when I told you I’m not an experienced or skilled recipe writer?  It’s true, but I’ve learned how the process works a bit better now.  After reading Dianne Jacob’s posts on recipe writing and the comments that followed, I was much more cognizant of the details of this recipe.  I made some major edits using some of her suggestions and garnered great info from some of the comments in response to her posts.  The 2nd time around I took a copy of the printed draft into the kitchen with a pen and it lived on the counter, close at hand, at the ready for edits.

Shrimp Tacos and Corn 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

 

And edit, I did.  Quarter cups became tablespoons, pinches became definitive 1/4 teaspoons, sugar became tamarind paste and titles changed, and changed again.  It’s not easy, this recipe-writing stuff and I didn’t expect it to be, but if I’m going to submit a recipe to be considered for a prize from the company that employs me, I want to be sure it can be reproduced and that it’s a recipe people will have no trouble preparing and serving to friends and family to rave reviews.  I had help from a few people.  They read, they edited, we discussed and I’m so glad I had their eyes to help ferret out the mistakes — typos, missing ingredients from the list, incorrect measurements, and style.

Close Up Tacos with Queso Blanco 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

And yes, it may seen extreme, but we’ve established long ago that I’m a rather competitive type and if I’m going to enter a contest, I’m not going to go 1/2 way.  WholeFoods wanted 1 dish for $4.00, I submitted a meal.  CNN was looking for a brown bag lunch, I submitted a brown bag feast.  I’ve met my goal this time.  I’ve submitted a delicious dish that’s sure to please.  If I were writing for publication in a cookbook or a magazine or something like that I’d ask for recipe testers, but I kept this recipe close to the vest because –  hell yeah I’m competitive and I want to win — for the sake of being a winner.

Camarones 774x1024 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

The recipe’s been sitting here in the Draft Folder for a couple of weeks, but it’s been formally submitted so it’s time to share.  Win or lose, this recipe is a winner that I’ll be making again and again.  I’m feeling a summer party coming on.  What do you think?  Worthy of your time in the kitchen?

Grilled Tortillas Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

Tacos and Corn 1024x774 Grilled Chipotle Tamarind Shrimp Tacos



This recipe is not as complicated as its length may make it seem.  I’ve broken the ingredients into 3 components; Shrimp, Slaw and Tortillas.  It uses just 2 pots/pans — a 1 1/2 Quart Saucepan and the new Calphalon Kabob Pan.  And with marinating time, it should take no longer than 45 minutes from preparation to table.Serves 4
 

Grilled Chipotle and Tamarind Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients for Shrimp:

  • 6 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 inch of Lemongrass smashed, if available or a Teaspoon Lemongrass in a jar from the spice aisle
  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Chipotle in Adobo Sauce and 2 of the smaller Chili’s in the can, seeded and finely minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Tamarind Paste — if you don’t have a market that sells international products, Tamarind Paste is available on Amazon.  I made my own paste using a block of tamarind and heating it in a saucepan until it became a paste and straining it into a storage jar.  You can forgo Tamarind paste altogether or use a tart jam like Apricot in it’s place and reduce to 1 tablespoon
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1 large Green Onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Oregano flakes (not ground)
  • 1 lb. Medium Large Shrimp (31/35), peeled, cleaned and de-veined
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  1. In a small skillet, heat the oil.  Add the garlic and lemongrass to the pan to infuse flavors for 1 minute on medium high heat, taking care not to color the garlic so that it retains it’s sweet flavor from the heat.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. While the infused oil is cooling, in a separate bowl large enough to comfortably fit the shrimp and marinade, mix the chipotle sauce and minced chipotle pepper, tamarind paste, lime juice, green onion and oregano .  Add the cleaned shrimp.  Once the oil is cool enough to not cook the shrimp, add to the marinade and let sit for 15 – 30 minutes.
  3. While the shrimp is marinating, put together the cabbage and avocado salad:

Ingredients for Cabbage-Avocado Salad

  • 2 Cups Green Cabbage, Shredded or cut into julienne slices — I use a hand held mandolin for this job
  • 2 Green Onions sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped or torn in large pieces
  • 1 Avocado, cut in chunks
  • 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Confectioner’s Sugar
  • 1-1/2 Tablespoons Lime Juice — this will keep the avocado from browning
  • 1 Jalapeño Pepper, finely minced — for less heat, remove the ribs and seeds
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste
  1. Combine all ingredients and gently toss, taking care not to mash avocado chunks.  Let sit in the refrigerator while working with the shrimp allowing the flavors to meld.

Cook the Shrimp:

  1. When the shrimp is done marinating, remove to a plate, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer while the shrimp is cooking.
  2. Heat the kabob pan.  Skewer the shrimp, sliding 4 – 6 shrimp on each skewer.  Place the kabobs on the lower notch so that the shrimp makes contact with the pan and cook on medium high for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp is just cooked — opaque — taking care not to over cook.   The shrimp will continue to cook when the skewers are removed from the pan as the skewers are still hot, so slide the shrimp off and onto a plate as soon as possible.
  3.  

Remove the simmering marinade off the heat and set aside.

Prepare the Tortillas:

  1. Brush the tortillas with oil and grill on each side until light grill marks appear, but don’t cook too long or the tortillas will be too firm to fold.

Build the Tacos:

  • 12 Corn Tortillas
  • 3/4 Cup Queso Fresco, crumbled — if you don’t have access to cheese from Central America such as Queso Fresco, Farmer’s Cheese is a good substitute
  • Vegetable oil for brushing on the tortillas
  • Reserved and heated Shrimp Marinade
  • 2 limes, wedged for squeezing on finished tacos
  1. Place a tortilla on a plate.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of cooked marinade on the tortilla, add 2 – 3 shrimp, top with avocado-cabbage salad and fold.
  2. Top with a sprinkle of queso fresco.

Variations:

~To steam the tortillas, enclose them in stacks of 6 in a kitchen towel and place in a microwave for 30 – 45 seconds, just until they become pliable.  They’ll steam inside the folded towel in the heat of the microwave.

~To save calories, heat on a pan without oil until pliable enough to fold.

~To create a hard shell taco, fry in hot oil.  When removing from the oil, fold in the shape of a taco.  The tortilla will firm up as it cools.

~To create a different shrimp texture, mix up a batter and fry the shrimp, rather than grilling.

Buen Provecho!

Breakfast Quesadillas

Plated Spinach Cheese Quesadilla 1024x795 Tortilla Intervention Needed

One day I might figure me out, but for now I’m still a very big mystery.  I spent the last 3.5 years making sure to repeat dishes as little as possible.  I scoured cookbooks and online sites like FoodGawker and Tastespotting and my favorite blogs for daily inspiration as some would a bible.  But since I embarked on this points-counting, weight loss journey with the help of Weight Watchers, I’ve incorporated tortillas into more than 50% of my meals.

Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas 1024x690 Tortilla Intervention Needed

And when I woke up this morning and headed into the kitchen I knew I wanted to make a breakfast tortilla.  I think I may have dreamed about tortillas.   Yep, it’s kinda sad.  But don’t make the call yet — I think I’m going to be ok.  I’ve got a deep, dark, 6 points per slice, chocolate cake in the oven right now!  And there’s a beautiful piece of dark red tuna waiting for me in the fridge.  Whew!  I’m going to be a-ok.

So, on to the breakfast tortilla.  I didn’t have the typical package of “Mexican Cheese” but I did have goat cheese and brie.  And the packages of baby spinach and very thinly sliced pancetta rounds were just what I needed to throw together a great breakfast.  That jar of salsa verde is coming in very handy, but plans are in place to remediate the jarred salsa verde situation.  There will be home made salsa roja tomorrow.

Breakfast Queadillas Tortilla Intervention Needed

So far so good — so very good.  I’m not feeling hungry and I’m still cooking good food, without resorting to much in the way of processed, packaged food.  Ok!  so I use packaged tortillas — don’t be a hater.  I might just try to make my own again.

If you want to make these breakfast (or anytime) tortillas and want to count points here you go:

  • 1 corn tortilla — 1
  • 1 slice pancetta sliced paper thin — 2
  • 1/8 oz. Goat Cheese, semisoft — 0
  • 1/4 oz Brie Cheese — 1
  • 1/2 cup Baby Spinach — 0
  • 3 teaspoons Salsa Verde — 0

Place tortilla in a paper towel and heat in a microwave for 20 seconds to make it pliable.  When the tortilla comes out of the microwave, quickly spread the cheeses on top.

Place the pancetta round in a skillet and cook until just before it becomes crispy.  Spray the skillet with a couple of pumps of oil.  I use Beroli extra light olive oil so there really isn’t an olive flavor and it takes a lot to add up to a point.  You don’t need much here.  Place the tortilla in the pan and immediately add the pancetta and spinach to one half of the tortilla.  If using, top with onions.

Spoon 2 teaspoons of salsa verde on top of the spinach.  Let cook for 45 seconds to a minute.  Using a spatula, fold the tortilla in half.  The cheese should be melted enough to act as a kind of “glue” to hold the tortilla together.  Let cook for 30 seconds and carefully turn.  Cook for an additional 15 – 30 seconds and remove to a plate.  Top with remaining teaspoon of salsa.  Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut in half and serve.  And I dare you to try not to make this kind of breakfast often.

Serves 1

Next up — Chocolate Cake made with Sauerkraut.  WHAT?  No , I haven’t lost my mind, it’s a Weight Watchers recipe and I’m pretty excited about it.

And then there was this post:

Weighty Thoughts

by Fran@frantasticfood.com on February 13, 2011[edit]

Shrimp Quesadillas

Or are they tacos?

Building a Quesadilla 1024x690 Weighty Thoughts

I don’t know, but oh my was it good.  And easy.  And healthy.  And did I mention I made this dish THREE times this week?  I think the world really wanted to stop spinning by the 3rd time I put this on the table.  I don’t remember making anything two nights in a row on this blog, but three times?  What has become of me?  What has caused me to change my non-routine routine?

 

 

Shrimp in a Pan Weighty Thoughts

That’s easy, and not so easy.  I’ve been attempting to write this post for almost a week.  And that too is not routine for me.  Inspiration is usually not so fleeting with me, but I’ve written this post five times and have deleted all but the images five times.  And the story?  Here goes.  I’ve been building up to this for a very long time, but it took a couple of high fat, high carb, astronomically high calorie meals and the horrible food hangovers the next day to get my act into gear.

Cooking a Quesadilla Weighty Thoughts

Oh yeah, that and the fact that I could barely bend over to put a pair of shoes on that I was looking to purchase while out shopping a few weeks ago.  And right, how self-conscious I was in a bathing suit for 4 days in Mexico in January.  Ah yes, and the fact that finding something I feel good in to wear to work each day is close to impossible.  And let’s not even talk about self-esteem.   But I think the real tipping point came the day I got off the bus on the highway and huffed and puffed as I walked the few miles toward home in a driving snow storm.  Put it all together and simply put, it’s time to do something,  ‘nough said!

Finished Shrimp Quesadilla 1024x690 Weighty Thoughts

So, there you have it.  I’m counting points and after just about a week, I can report with a big smile on my face that I’m happy about my new lifestyle.

Quesadilla in the Pan 1024x737 Weighty Thoughts

But please don’t get worried.  I’m not going to get all preachy on you or overwhelm this blog with boring, “This is how much I lost this week,”  hype.  Nope.  Not gonna do it.  I quit smoking just before I started blogging 4 years ago and I didn’t get all preachy about that.  As a matter of fact, most of you probably don’t even know I was a smoker.  I was a strange smoker, really never out in public, but I smoked, nonetheless.  Anyway …

 

 

Quesadilla Close Up 1024x663 Weighty Thoughts

You’re going to continue to see good food here.  Delicious, home made food, as always.  With the freshest ingredients and the least boring combinations I can come up with.  Since fruits and vegetables are unlimited, you’ll be seeing a lot of vegetables around these parts, although often in their raw, naked state.  And there you have it — a short story with a potentially big impact and I hope you’ll come back for more.

Finished Quesadilla 1024x554 Weighty Thoughts

As you know, I’m not much of a recipe developer, but I will try to include recipes from time to time and I should be able to pretty consistently include Points Plus counts for those of you that are remotely interested.

Shrimp Taco/Quesadilla/Deliciousness! — 10 points

  • 2 tsp light olive oil – 2
  • 1/4 cup sliced yellow onion – 0
  • 1 clove garlic, minced – 0
  • dash dried chili
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5oz. shrimp – 3
  • 1 corn tortilla – 1
  • 1 flour tortilla – 2
  • 1/3 cup low fat shredded cheddar – 2
  • 2 tablespoons salsa verde – 0
  • 2 tsp black bean soup
  • 1/4 fresh lime – 0
  • 4 sprigs cilantro – 0

Using a non-stick pan, spray with light olive oil.  I use Bertolli spray.  It’s not an aerosol which I prefer.  Add the sliced onion and cook until just beginning to turn color.  Add garlic and shrimp and cook until just barely opaque, taking care not to let the garlic turn darn brown to prevent it from getting bitter.  Sprinkle with chili, salt and pepper while cooking.  Remove to a plate or bowl and cover to keep warm.

In the meantime, wrap the tortillas in a paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds so that they are pliable.

Wipe out the pan and spray with more oil.  Add one tortilla and cook for 30 seconds.  Put 3 shrimp on one half of the tortilla, add cheese to the other half.  Spoon on a tablespoon of salsa verde.  You can used fresh or jared, just be sure to check the jar to ensure there are no hidden carbohydrates or fat which will add to the point count.  Top the shrimp with black bean soup and continue cooking for another 30 seconds.   Squeeze lime juice all around.  Add 1 sprig of cilantro leaves and using a non stick spatula, carefully fold the side of the tortilla with the cheese on it over the shrimp and cook until the tortilla is crispy.

Remove to a plate and cook the second quesadilla.  I ate this with a mountain of roasted vegetables.

And Cinco de Mayo wouldn’t be complete without another corn tortilla post:

Taco Seasoning Mix

by Fran@frantasticfood.com on February 28, 2011[edit]

Shrimp Tacos

Have you ever made tacos?  Oh, sure you have.  What a silly question.  In my quest to continue melting poundage off my body we all know I’ve been on a quesadilla/taco/tostada binge.  Well, not binge like you’re thinking, silly.  Binging is not what got me into this predicament.  I get bored far too easily and eating an entire bag of chips or a half gallon of ice cream would leave me bored about mid-way.  What plagues me is quantity at mealtime.  But hey, with the help of Weight Watchers, family and friends, I’m trying to put that behind me, so stop bringing it up, ok?

Taco Seasoning Mix 1024x690 Taco Seasoning Mix

 

 

This past weekend I decided it was time to make more taco seasoning.  I go back to the recipe from my friend Stephanie at CopyKat.com.  It’s so dead-on for that packaged stuff you get in the supermarket that there’s just no reason to ever buy it again.  I used smoked Spanish paprika this time and it gave the seasoning another layer of flavor.

Taco Seasoning 1024x690 Taco Seasoning Mix

It’s easy to throw together and those of you that like to cook and keep a fairly well-stocked pantry will probably have all of the ingredients available.  Make a jar of it so you have it on hand, although unless you’re on this crazy corn tortilla, everything Mexican kick like I’ve been on lately, don’t make an enormous jar or you’ll end up having to throw it away before you use it all.  Herbs and spices don’t last forever and there’s nothing worse than opening a jar of something like this and being met with that stale aroma.  Ick!

Shrimp Tortillas1 Taco Seasoning Mix

Don’t tell me you weren’t expecting to see this.  Shrimp tacos in… corn tortillas.  I’ve been playing with some of the camera apps on the iPhone and this photo has that grainy, vintage kind of look without trying.  Not sure it’s making me jump up and down, but there will be many more shrimp taco opportunities to get that money shot.  Believe me, many more.

These corn tortilla cravings are telling me one of two things — either I’m pregnant — ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  Or I am meant to live in Mexico.  While  I’d welcome the opportunity, that’s not likely to happen either.  I think it’s time I tried my hand at home made corn tortillas though.  I made them when I was a young married woman, but that was last century, so it’s time to pull out the tortilla press and brush up on my tortilla-making skills.  Imagine the smile on my face if I can master that task?!  If I become a pro at it, I think I’ll have a party.  It’s been a long time and what better excuse to make stacks of corn tortillas?  Olé!!

Have you ever made corn tortillas?  How about flour tortillas?  I’d love to hear about it.

Shrimp Tacos Weight Watchers Points Plus Value — 10:

  • 2 tsp light olive oil – 2
  • dash dried chili
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5oz. shrimp – 3
  • 2 corn tortillas – 2
  • 1/3 cup low fat shredded cheddar – 2
  • 2 tablespoons salsa verde – 0
  • 2 tsp black bean soup — 1
  • 1/4 fresh lime — 0
  • 4 sprigs cilantro — 0

And who can resist Peppers and Flan?!

Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

by Fran@frantasticfood.com on March 2, 2010[edit]

Poblano Chili Quesadillas

Poblano 1024x901 Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

I’m teaching class at the store tomorrow evening — The Essentials of Latin Cooking.  I like to prep the menu at home to work out any bugs or adapt any recipes that might prove challenging or cause problems in the 2 hour time frame of the event.  It helps me learn more about the ingredients as well.  For instance, did you know that when harvested, a tomatillo can be red, green yellow or even purple?  I haven’t cooked with tomatillos in many years, but now that I’ve made the Chicken Tomatillo Stew recipe, I think I’ll be bringing them back into my repertoire.  Mixing the sauce from the stew with pureed avocado and cilantro give this dish it’s color and creamy taste and texture without all the butterfat.  Oh my, this is good!

 

Plated Chicken Tomatillo Stew Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

The started, Roasated Poblano Quesadillas was heavenly.  I ate a couple of these when I made them yesterday and thought I’d never want another one.  They were so full of flavor and rich, but now that I’ve had some sleep and am looking at the photos one more time I can’t wait for class tomorrow night so that I can indulge one more time!   Once again I didn’t leave well enough alone — I’d defrosted a small strip steak and needed to use it so I pulled out my trusty grill pan and threw it on for a few minutes on each side.  It’s important not to overcook strip steak or it will be a chewy mess.  I didn’t stop to take photos, but trust me when I say it was cooked to rare perfection!  Rare as in juicy red, not as in, never happens.

Quesadillas and Avocado 1024x768 Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

A key ingredient in these two recipes is the Poblano Pepper.  Don’t be afraid!  On the Scoville Scale it ranks way down the chart at just about no heat.  As a matter of fact, the Tomatillo Stew recipe calls for a bell pepper, but I didn’t pick one up and had a poblano that was destined to become Chili Rellenos, but ended up in this recipe instead.  Good choice!  Far less fatteing and a perfect ingredient for the dish.

Roasted Poblano Pepper 1024x868 Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

Nothing said I had to roast the peppers, but nothing screams taste to me like a charred pepper (or tomato for that matter) so I cranked up the burner with the higher BTU’s and charred some peppers.  See, people are all worked up and excited about induction cook tops, but you can’t get a good fire-char on a pepper with a magnet now, can you?  And what about that wonky new Electrolux range system that’s going to eliminate pots and pans?  Say what?!

Kaluha Rum Flan Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

And this was the main reason I wanted to make this meal, sans the Watercress and Orange Salad, last night.  I needed to make a set of flan because during a 2 hour class, I probably wouldn’t get the decadent dessert finished in time.  In the name of all that’s holy — THIS WAS GREAT!

Flan on the Plate Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

I got it done and in the fridge at about 1am and woke up thinking about what a great breakfast I was going to have.  I’m not normally one for sweet breakfasts.  I’m more of the bagels & lox sort, but this … this … this creamy, eggy, caramely custardy delight was insane.  And the black specks, vanilla bean.  Yes my friends, that is what things look like when you use fresh vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste.  I’m a fan of vanilla paste unless it’s important to have no texture or sight of the little flecks of dark brown bean in the dish.

Flans Done Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

I think Flan is Latin America’s gift to dessert.  Well, that and Dulce de Leche.  And yes.  I plan to make Dulce de Leche Flan in the very near future.  I think it’s time to plan a party so that I have people to share all this goodness with.

Do you have a favorite ethnic food that you cook or go in search of?  I’ve got too many to name just one, but this week, it’s Latin American cooking.  Uummm… along with Greek.  icon smile Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

Spanakopita Practice Makes Perfect with Peppers and Flan

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Sea, Internationally Inspired, Main Dishes Tagged With: Cinco de Mayo, Cook, Food, Mexico, Quesadillas, Tacos, Tortillas, williams-sonoma

Tropical Fruit Mysteries

May 25, 2013 By Fran Leave a Comment
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Tropical FruitWhat is this strange looking, teardrop shaped, bumpy orb?  It can’t be edible, can it?  I wonder if that’s what the first hunter-gatherers walking through the Southeast Asian tropical landscape said to themselves.  Was it hunger or curiosity that drove them to find a way to open the firm outer skin and sink their teeth into the white orb of juicy, tropical flesh wrapped around the big, oblong seed?

This is a bowl of fresh lychees.

I remember my mom telling me she loved lychees when I was young, but I never “got it.”  I only remember lychees from the local Chinese restaurant and they could not have been fresh.

Tropical-Fruit

Back in the 60’s fresh tropical fruit was available in the tropics, not suburban New Jersey.

Even now, when Mangosteens or Rambutan show up in the supermarkets in Reston, Virginia, they are nothing but an expensive tease.  I’ve tried them.  Sure.  I have been known to plunk down insane amounts of money to slide into memories of tropical life.

Tropical Fruit

But indulging in these exotic fruits is about the same as opening the trash can and throwing the money way. Lychees, Mangosteen or Rambutan don’t make it to the loading docks and palettes of the Northern Virginia supermarkets very well and they turn into something that is not at all simliar to the real thing.  By the time they make it over the Pacific to the western hemisphere they are in horrible shape with no redeeming value at all.

I just checked the Wegman’s market website and fresh lychees are selling for $5.99/lb. right now.  I just bought a pound and a half of fresh Rambutan which are basically lychee with hair and paid $1.44/lb. and the market I purchased them in is not known for low prices.  If I bought the fruit on the side of the road on the way to Tela, I am sure it would have cost a fraction of the price.

Tropical-Fruit

But here in Central America, some of these tropical beauties are available.  We also have Rambutan, the spiny looking fruit that is just like a lychee and looks like a prop from  Jurassic Park and I think Mangosteen are available as well.  None of these are indigenous to Central America, but over time they have made their way here and it makes me happy.

If you see these fruits in your local market, pick one up, ask the produce guy if you can try one just to get an idea of what it’s all about and then finish your shopping, get in your car, go home and book a trip to a tropical paradise somewhere so you can get a real taste of one of these odd-looking, but delicious fruits.

I will miss this stuff when I head back to the US, but there is no date for that yet, so I will continue to live the tropical life and eat beautiful fruit — oh and of course, corn tortillas!  :)

Now, if they would just put an Apple store in the city so I could visit the Genius Bar.  I’ve been living with months of very spotty internet connectivity with my MacBook and I can’t quite figure it out.  The iOS devices stay happily connected, but writing a blog post on an iPad or iPhone is not my idea of fun, relaxing entertainment.  :)

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Fruit, Honduras, Longan, Lychee, Mangosteen, Philippines, Rambutan, Tropical

Ending the Year Stress-Free!

January 1, 2013 By Fran 1 Comment
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Making-TortillasThere is a place in Honduras I keep returning to — Copán.  But more than that, there is a special place in the shadows of the Ancient Mayan ruins called Hacienda San Lucas.  It is here that I am so easily able to shed the skin of stress that weighs heavily on my shoulders and no matter the price or the time it takes to get there, I wish to keep returning.

It was another last minute decision, but one I am so happy I made.  It had been months since I traveled to Copán and this visit was long overdue.

When Flavia (Cueva), the owner and fabulous host of San Lucas called to tell me they’d reserved a room for me I felt so bad I could not stay for more than one night, but I was happy to have just that one day to do nothing more than relax, meet nice people and eat four fabulous meals.

Broken-Down

There was one problem along the way.  The transmission in that car of ours was not going to cooperate.  As we sped our way down highways CA5 and CA11, the little green wrench icon decided to light up at about the same time as I began to hear a squeal.  Then there was the smell of burning rubber.  But it took me a little while to convince Carlos to pull over and stop the car.  I know I was backseat driving — literally, but we had to stop and see what was going on.  I suspect he was worried we’d never get it started again, but if we were about to drop the transmission — a guess I made when he had a tough time getting the car into park or any other gear because it seemed to slip — not get traction — is the best way I can explain it.

Map-to-Copan

We finally stopped when that sound of panic came over my screeching voice.  Carlos found a couple of mechanics who happened to be on the side of the road where we pulled off and they brought back three bottles of Power Steering Fluid.  At least. that’s what it said on the packaging.

Fixing-Car

As I once again found myself in a panic, Carlos assured me that it was transmission fluid and not power steering fluid that was poured into the spent bottles.  I was skeptical, but the guys found a loose hose which they pointed out to me, filled up the reservoir, went back for two more unopened bottles of transmission fluid and like that, the car was working again.  While all this was going on, Flavia kept me calm and kept in touch by phone.  The good news was that it was not a hot, sunny day, so while stranded by the side of the road for a couple of hours, there was no human melting going on.  Whew!

Once on the road again we agreed that the San Lucas driver would pick me up in his little, Smart car sized truck and drive me and some supplies up the hill.  It’s a dirt road and with rainy weather and use, there was no way that big Ford was going to make it without resulting in a variety of issues.  I’m sure Carlos was happy about that as he headed back to San Pedro Sula to change cars and prepare to do it all over again the following day so I could head back into the city and go to work on New Year’s Eve.

The-Road-to-San-Lucas

But that was 24 hours away and I had some major relaxing to do, thank you very much.  There was a comfortable bed and a rocking chair with my name on it that needed my attention — right after lunch.

Rocking-Chair

When we pulled in, Leah was waiting for us and quickly showed me to my room.  It was in the main house.  As displayed on the key fob, the room is called Cocina.  How perfect for me!  I assume the name come from the location to the kitchen.  It was just right.  Although a little noisier than the rooms up on the path, the sounds of kitchen staff talking and giggling, the rustling of dishes and utensils was not annoying at all.  It only made me wish I could go in and watch was was going on and to help as lunch service was being prepared.  There are two kitchens at San Lucas — the one which I am mesmerized by and the one that is used to do the bulk of the cooking.  This was the kitchen of heavy lifting and delicious meals.

Cocina

Dining-at-San-Lucas

I unpacked the couple of things I brought with me and headed to lunch.  On top of a lovely chicken tamale was that sublime adobo sauce I’ve been missing, but not before a salad that was so bright and perky it was sure to lift anyone’s spirits.

Salad

Chicken-Tamale-and-Adobo

It’s never one course at San Lucas.  Did I mention there was a carrot soup course?  A nice, broth-y, full of flavor soup.  Next came a corn husk with chicken inside.  At first bite I thought I was eating something Asian, but quickly realized it was the coconut cream that gave me that impression.  The chicken was tender and full of flavor and accompanied by crispy green beans, rice and carrots that tasted like they spent time playing with a ripe orange.  Delicioso!

Lunch-Almuerzo

After lunch I made my way to the couch outside the “old” kitchen and hung out until it was time to get acquainted with the rocking chair.  I know, I sound like some old lady bore, but it’s been a crazy few months and my mind and body were telling me to CHILL OUT fool!  So I listened.  There was nothing for me to do in town … no need to make the bumpy ride back just to walk around and see what I could purchase for the sake of something to do.  No need to spend money “just because.”

San-Lucas-Couches

The weather was cool and I was happy to have remembered to bring a sweater.  Who would have thought I’d need a sweater in a country that was always so swelteringly hot?  What a welcome respite from the relentless heat.  I was thrilled to be a little chilly.

In-the-Kitchen

Produce

More-San-Lucas-Happiness

Setting-up-for-Dinner

Old-Kitchen

Little-Patio

I headed to the room for a while and the next thing I knew dinner time wasn’t far off.  But I wasn’t hungry so I headed to the sitting area in the main building and met a few people who had come to San Lucas on a return visit. We talked about the wonders of the place and even had a little conversation about Hondurans and the concept of empathy in this culture and while I did not get away to think about work, the brief 30 minute cultural discussion opened my eyes to something I’ve been wanting to get the answer to for 12 months — how is empathy expressed in in Honduras?  Jugo, Honduran born, but living in the US most of his life told me that Hondurans don’t express sorrow for something they can’t relate to.  For instance, if you were to tell someone your great aunt was in the hospital and was not doing well at all, they would not say, “I’m sorry,” because they can’t say they are sorry for someone they don’t know. He said that because they don’t know the story and what your relationship with that person is and what if it was never a good relationship, so maybe sorrow is not the emotion you are feeling and without knowing the whole story, saying they are sorry would be fake and possibly patronizing.

View-from-the-Patio

Wow!  I never expected to learn something so important to what I do everyday during my brief stay in Copán!

After they left to go for their massages, Flavia plunked herself down and we had an equally as enlightening conversation.  I began to feel as though I’d come on some kind of spiritual retreat someone signed me up for without me knowing.

Tropical-Flowers

And we began to talk about the new art hanging on the property which is created by Flavia’s Daughter-in-Law, Frida.  I’d read a bit about her on the website and have liked the pieces I’ve seen around the hacienda and on her own site and let Flavia know I was interested in buying a piece.  What I didn’t expect was to find out Frida was on site and would love to chat with me.  She was having something of an impromptu gallery showing that night.  Other guests were approaching her to ask about purchasing her art and there was a brief moment of panic, as she realized most of her art was bring sold and worried about what Flavia would do to fill the void while she worked to create replacements.

But that is what I’d call a really happy problem for all involved.  I learned that Flavia’s son Tyler is also an artist.  He makes photographs and they are transfered to wood with Frida’s graphics as a backdrop.  My empty walls in San Pedro would soon have beautiful, colorful, insightful art hanging from them.  The two pieces I chose are hanging in a showing in a museum in Tegulcigalpa and Frida will be packing them up and sending them my way.  I can’t wait!  What life they will add to my living space.  They will surely put a smile on my face and look so good with my own photos of Honduras.

Looking-to-Copán-Ruinas

Tuk-Tuk

I began to work up and appetite and had a seat for dinner among newlyweds and travelers and holiday vacation seekers.  The night was cool and the dinner delicious.  The main course was crispy breaded Tilapia, roasted potatoes, steamed snow peas and brussels sprouts.  Simple, but flavorful food.  Just what I was looking for, especially after the lunch extravaganza!

Candle-Power

San Lucas is an “eco lodge,” and as such, there are no lights with the exception of a soft light in the bathroom and a solar powered reading lamp by the bed.  It’s so peaceful to walk around in the dark with just the glow of candles.  They are off the grid for the most part with these exceptions and the kitchen, of course.  It’s a wonderful experience to have no “blinking” green or red lights for any kind of electronics around, although I have to admit I kept my phone charged in the bathroom.  I have abandoned my DSLR, that big, clunky Nikon for the past few months and while my photos tend to be grainy in available light and are not the sharpest at all times, it’s such a sense of freedom not to have a heavy camera around my neck every time I head out on a day off.

Breakfast-Desayuno

Breakfast the next morning was a treat.  I’ve made the Israeli dish Shakshuka which is similar to the breakfast I ordered at San Lucas. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and this is what came to the table.  The tomatoes, while tasking like San Marzanos were the perfect taste of sweet and tart and the egg was done just how I like it — with a very runny yolk.  The Queso Blanco and beans made me swoon.  The difference between this and the TexMex style Huevos Rancheros we are used to in the US is the absence of spice.  I wasn’t missing it this morning though.  This hit the spot.

Next up was a trip to the “Bird Park,” or Macaw Mountain.  It was about 20 minutes away.  I spent an hour walking the path and while I’ve seen Macaws out flying around at the site of the ruins — the coffee trees?  bushes?  plants? really caught my attention.  I’ve wanted to get to one of the coffee plantations in the area, but haven’t planned far enough in advance.

Coffee-Beans

While walking I spotted the green and red berries and knew what they were right away.  I am going to need to get to one of the Fincas and take a tour.  One of them grows cacao, coffee and cardamom!  I’ve got to experience that.

Lunch-Tamales

It was time to get back to San Lucas to have lunch and check out before heading home.  One more tamale meal with pickled vegetables and more queso blanco.  The right amount of food for a long ride home and a late night at the office.

The ride home was much easier than the day before and while there were countless checkpoints, they clearly weren’t interested in us this time.  Not sure what they were looking for, but maybe drunk drivers on the holiday?  Not sure, but not getting stopped saved us a few minutes.

In all, it was a very brief, but relaxing overnight and once again I am promising myself to go back.  If you get the chance, come to Honduras and experience Copán and Hacienda San Lucas.  You won’t regret it.  I know most like to come for the ocean, but you can easily plan that in your trip.  The people I’ve chatted with during my stays have all worked Roatan in their itinerary.

I hope you can make it.  I promise, if you like good people, good scenery, history and incredible food, you won’t be disappointed!

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Adobo, Copán, Hacienda San Lucas, Honduras, Mayan, New Year, Stress

Al Aire Libre — Al Fresco Dining or Eating in the Fresh Air

December 23, 2012 By Fran 1 Comment
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Al Fresco DiningIt’s been a very rainy few months and as a result, doing much of anything outside has been hampered by rain … lots of rain.  It’s made for a very lush backdrop and mornings which are easier to manage outside until the sun decides to make an appearance for a little while.  At that point, it’s too hot inside or out and there is no chance to enjoy a meal outside without beads of sweat becoming the accessory of the day.

Today is  the best day I’ve had in a few weeks.  I woke up without my head spinning, could do more than shuffle around to get ready and I was FAMISHED!  I knew just what I wanted … a good Mexican inspired breakfast like Chilaquiles or Huevos Rancheros.

The bad news … I had no cheese in the fridge.  Not to worry, I had plenty to make a delicious meal with and it was the perfect setting.  Not hot yet, no thunderous pouring down rain to hamper a good breakfast and a smile on my face after a bout of being under the weather that I am happy to report I seem to be successfully kicking in the butt and sending on its way.

Huevos-Rancheros

I had fresh made tortillas from my favorite market — Guamilito — which formed the base for my meal.

As soon as they hit the skillet, the aroma brought me back to my wonderful visit to Hacienda San Lucas in Copán a few months ago.  I have yet to figure out the recipe for the   I had at each meal during that visit and am on a continual search.  I’ve searched and searched and nothing comes up that seems to hit the ingredients just right.  I either need another visit or two or time to spend in the kitchen with Flavia and her team to really learn how it’s done.  The website and some promotional materials, articles and blogs talk about pumpkin and sesame seeds, but I want it to turn out just right.  I suspect some of the deliciousness is the environment and the calming influence of not only Flavia, our attentive host, but the sounds of women patting out tortillas in the old kitchen and the resident dogs hanging around and the guests that look like they don’t have a care in the world — which at least while up in Copán, is hopefully the case.

Breakfast was simple — I “toasted” wedges of two tortillas in a sprinkling of oil to crisp them up, removed them to a serving plate, covered them with a towel and gently fried an egg in the same pan.  I wanted it runny, so it took just a minute.  I slid it onto the tortilla pieces, added a spoonful of hot salsa and a dolup of sour cream, a sprinkle of salt and Voilà!  Just the breakfast I wanted!

Roosters were crowing in the barrio below, palm fronds swished in the breeze and a few colorful birds flew around toward the hills.  It was just what the doctor ordered — literally!  He said NO STRESS and I’m trying to comply with that order.  :)

Breakfast

The Hacienda San Lucas breakfast I dream about enjoying again very soon

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Breakfast, Corn, Holiday, Honduras, Huevos Rancheros, Tortillas

A Simple Breakfast

November 24, 2012 By Fran 3 Comments
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Queso-FrescoWe had a team in from the US helping us with our recruiting process for a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. Early in the morning on their way out, I ran them to the market for a chance to pick up a few souvenirs and to get a look at the Mujeres de Tortilla (Tortilla Ladies) in action.

The market was just opening at 7am and only about 50% of the hawker stalls were open, but all of the stands where the moist, tender tortillas would be made, cooked and sold during the day were heating up and flat discs of ground corn were on their way out to be consumed all over town.

This time I didn’t stop with tortillas though.  I was asked to bring back la Cuajada — a fresh white cheese.  I’ve had it before and like the Queso Fresco or Queso Blanco I make at home, it’s moist, crumbly and salty.

I asked Jorge — Donde esta la cuajada, por favor?  Where is the cuajada, please?  He lead me to a small stall where a man was stirring what looked to be milk with his hands.  Off he went to package it, wrapped in a swath of banana leaf and into a plastic bag it was placed.  The tortillas were steaming hot and the cheese was ready for breakfast.

Market-in-San-Pedro-Sula

Breakfast

We made it back to the office eager to dive in.  Well, I was eager, I’m not sure about my traveling cohorts.  In the office, the Admin team was all smiles when they saw what was in the bags.  It didn’t take long and we were diving in.

Work-Breakfast

What I didn’t expect the next morning was to run across a blog post that talked about the evils of cheese in Honduras.  I knew it was risky as I tried to ignore the man’s hands stirring the milk that was most likely not pasteurized. I was skeptical about the container he fished the cheese from, thinking briefly that it was probably not hanging out in the most sanitary of conditions, but I went for it anyway.

Breakfast

After reading La Gringa’s post however, I think la Cuajada is going to have to be scratched from my list unless I make it from a container of Parmalat UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk although it seems she found a more reputable cheese vendor a year later so maybe there’s hope fro this cheese I enjoy so much.

Fresh-Duck

I have no idea why this duck was at the market in a box drinking milk

I’m here and getting ready to head out on a plane this afternoon and while there is a little grumble in my belly, I suspect it’s not the cheese I consumed 3 days ago.  Nope, there were other episodes of Russian Roulette played with food this week, the same as all other weeks that I choose to try not to think about.

All this won’t stop me from heading to the market to watch scores of tortillas being made or having breakfast of beans and eggs at the office most mornings, but it will make me think before blindly taking a bite of “street food”.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Cheese, Cuajada, Fresco, Market, Queso, Queso Blanco

Lost in Translation

September 23, 2012 By Fran 4 Comments
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Tube-of-CreamIt’s been 10 months since I landed here in San Pedro Sula, Honduras with two suitcases in hand and a receipt for a large box to be shipped via UPS for an as yet, undetermined amount of time and I’m often lost in translation.

In that time I’ve been to the town of Copán Ruinas 4 times, have visited beautiful colonial towns, have floated in the waves of the Caribbean countless times and have eaten more corn tortillas, rice and beans than I’ve eaten in my entire life.

Town-of-Copan-Ruinas

It’s all been fabulous.  Work is going well and although expat life is met with trials and tribulations, it’s to be expected and frankly, what makes living in a foreign culture so captivating and difficult to break away from.

I’ve got nothing to complain about.  I’m feeling very lucky.  My living arrangements are nothing I’d ever be able to experience at home in the US and as always, as an expat, I’ve had experiences, good and bad, I’d never had have in my hometown of Reston, Virginia.

No, living in the 2nd largest city in Honduras, is not always a cake-walk, but I shake off the less-than-fun times and some moments are met with growls of frustration of yelps of horror, but the moments of humor as with incidents such as you can read about below, make up for all of it.  If you don’t get a good laugh out of this, you’re far too jaded and it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and take a trip to an unfamiliar culture, far from your familiar surroundings.

Construction

View from my office window

As I work to transform ThinRecipes into a site that makes more sense in the realm of the way I’m living now, I want to share an incident that had me doubled over in pain from laughing so hard with my colleagues a couple of months ago.  This incident happened a couple of months ago, and I have played with the post on numerous occasions, but I’m ready to share it with you now.  For those of you that have ever been lost in translation, I’d love to hear your story.  Please feel free to comment.

Lost in Translation

I’m trying to learn Spanish.  I try.  I do.  But necesito mucho ayuda — I need lots of help — getting my point across.

When I arrived at the office one morning and made the plea to help find a topical remedy like Benadryl or something similiar to help stop the incessant itching from dozens of bug bites I’ve been struggling with since a trip to the beach a couple of days before I decided it would be best to let Google help me rather than risk sending people all over town on a wild goose chase and showed the Benadryl website to the team so they would know what I was looking for.  A Benadryl Itch Stick sounded heavenly, but if it wasn’t available here I’d be more than happy with cream and if that was not available I’d take a pill and fight the urge to sleep during the day.  At this point I was open to ANY Benadryl relief I could get!

So off they went on the usual daily errands picking up a variety of items for the site.  Later in the day I was presented with a small plastic bag from the pharmacy which contained a box and this small yellow tube of … something.

I held it in my hand like it was gold and handed over the money, like a junkie waiting for an overdue fix.

I tried it on a couple of bites and it was ok.  Nothing immediate, but in a little while I wasn’t itching any longer.  Wow!  Was it the relief I’d been hoping for?

A little later there was still some itching, but I found if I kept myself occupied and moving around I could do ok so the jury wasn’t in yet.

When I got home and sat down to wait for my dinner to get done in the oven I settled in for a game of Draw Something with my sister and the itching began again. in ernest  ACK!  Nothing worked.  I was about to resort to the baking soda and water remedy that offered a little relief the night before when the timer went off for my dinner so once again I was distracted and headed into the kitchen to plate up my meal.

The meal finished, dishes done, kitchen light off, it was time to head back to my sister and the next round of the best stick figure drawings I could muster.  At about that time my friend Stephanie rang on Skype.  She was aware of my mosquito struggles and we set out to learn what is in this yellow tube to see why it wasn’t working.

And that’s when hilarity ensued.  From what we could find, this cheerful yellow tube contains the answer to Vaginal Fungus and Itch!!  DIOS MIO!   En serio?!

First thing in the morning I pulled my HR Manger aside and showed her the tube.  I told her what Stephanie and I found and the laughter began again.  She took the tube from my hand and looked at me, wide-eyed and a new round of laughs and confirmed that yes, the blurb on the back of the tube claims it is for vaginal itch.

What makes this particularly funny, is that the person who found and purchased this product to cure the insatiable mosquito bite itching for me is of the género masculino persuasion not the el sexo feminino variety.  Gustavo is a great guy.  We count on him for so much that happens with our facility and he keeps it looking and functioning well.  He always has a smile when I see him, no matter what kind of heat or uncomfortable conditions he has to work within.   His English has improved a lot since he first started working here and he always has a smile on his face.

Just please tell me Gustavo didn’t bother to take the time to read the package or I’ll never see his smile without wondering what he’s really thinking.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Benadryl, Bite, Honduras, Humor, Itch, Laughter, Mosquito, Remedy, Spanish, Translation

Confessions of a Happy Expat

July 30, 2012 By Fran 1 Comment
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Deli-Flats

Some days, it’s the most trivial of discoveries that makes my day.  For those of you new to this blog, please allow me to introduce you to The FRANwich.

It may seem to be nothing more than a slice of thin bread, a slice of provolone, hard salami and a smear of mustard, and you’d be correct.

This was the starter to my day every day of the work-week. I’d bring in the ingredients, pop the “Deli Flats” into the toaster in the office and put together my 6 point breakfast.  It never varied with the exception of the occasional slice of tomato and possibly a leaf of basil.  I’d pack a large container of fresh fruit and snack on it throughout the morning.

Ingredients-for-Franwich

Lunch was the salad bar at the office or in one of the Asian salad bar restaurants a few blocks away and I’d finish lunch with a small Weight Watchers dessert bar.   Dinner was a few ounces of chicken, fish, pork or meat with a vegetable and a small carb, often quinoa or farro and I’d finish with a Weight Watchers frozen dessert.

On weekends, I’d usually whip up a poached egg and tortilla breakfast to vary the routine and I’d stick to salad for lunch and a reasonable dinner like the weekdays.

I was happy.  I didn’t really ever feel like I was depriving myself.  I liked the challenge and this routine helped me lose 26 lbs.  It took longer than I’d hoped, but I was feeling good about myself and was healthier for it, so while I had more to lose, I wasn’t sweating the time amount of time I’d invested in the process.

And last week was the breaking point, the trigger.  Feeling uncomfortable in my clothes made me angry and I decided it was time to get back on the wagon.  I’d put back every single one of those hard earned lost 26 lbs. right back on in the world of rice, beans, tortillas and plantains in the 8 months since moving here and I was angry with myself.  So last week I began a regimen of fresh fruit for breakfast and a grilled chicken salad for lunch everyday from the café at the office.  The only thing missing was the FRANwich!  Well, that and the Weight Watchers bars and frozen desserts.

FRANwich

Today all that changed.  My new friend Stuart took me to a supermarket I hadn’t been to before and within moments of walking in the door I spotted my salvation — the Deli Flat or Deli Round or Bread Thin or whatever you call it (depending on brand).  I was so excited and I know my shopping companion could not understand my rabid eagerness to throw a couple of bags of the 100 calorie, high in fiber packages in my cart.  I mean who gets excited about processed bread that got so many preservatives it can handle months in the pantry before it’s inedible?

I do!  :)  I am now officially on the wagon.  Just you wait and see.  In a few months I will be back to the pre-Honduras me and shopping for clothes again rather than wooden coasters and trinkets.

Jalapeño Poppers, you’re a thing of the past and rice, I love you, but you don’t need to adorn every meal by the cups-full.

Next step?  Getting into that state-of-the-art gym down by the pool.

Fran-at-Guamilito

I want to feel like this again — this was me a few weeks after moving here before the local diet took hold.

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Bread, Cook, Deli Flat, Diet, Expat, Food, Franwich, Honduras, Weight Watchers
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