Pastel de Chocolate Méxicano

 

I found this recipe in an old Mexican Desserts recipe book my family has.  I've had the book for years but never used it.  Recently my sister asked for the book and I hated letting it go. Lol, before I gave it to her I found this recipe that seemed pretty easy to make and included Abuelita/Ibarra chocolate.  I had been "itching" to make something with the mexican chocolate I had and I finally found an easy recipe. 

 

Again, it was pretty easy to make.  The end result was pretty disappointing to me though.  It had a Jello consistancy that I didn't enjoy.  My mother and friends tasted the pie and they liked it.  My mother liked it the most and I felt slightly redeemed for that. :) 

 

What would I change?  Not so much Jello pudding mix and more cream cheese.  A Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake sounds awesome right?  Yummy!  One day I'll be adventurous enough to experiment and make it. 

 

xoxo.....

Mata Ortiz Pottery

 

Today I volunteered and helped friends sell their Mata Ortiz (small town in Mexico) pottery.  They also had a couple of the Mata Ortiz artists there for Q & A and to teach some of us how they paint their pottery.  This picture is my attempt at paiting the pottery.  I've never been good at staying within the lines... Lol :)

 

xoxo....

My Baby Daddy

 

Okay, so I joke around that my friend is my future baby daddy.  This stems from a serious conversation we had years ago where I was freaking out about being 30, single, and could swear I was hearing my biological clock ticking.  My lovely friend then offered to be my "baby daddy" should I ever start looking for a donor. :) 

 

Since that conversation I have thought about going down the sperm donor route but I always seem to think over and decide against it.  I'm still young enough to have children on my own and I want to believe that I will find my life partner. 

 

I may take him up on his offer after the big 4 - 0 but for now I'm holding out hope for romance. 

 

xoxo...

Breakfast Toast

I need something fast & easy in the mornings so I started making this breakfast toast recently & I love it.

Ingredients:

1 slice whole wheat bread
1 veggie patty
1 slice pepper jack cheese
Sliced tomato to taste

I bake the veggie patty for about 10 min in my toaster oven. Enough time for me to walk away & continue my morning routine. Once the patty is done I start toasting the bread in the toaster oven. A minute later I add the sliced tomatoes. About a minute before the timer ends I add the sausage patty on top of the tomatoes and top it with the cheese slice.  No toaster oven?  Toast your bread first, then nuke it in your microwave with all the ingredients above for about 15 seconds, or to taste.

You end up with a crunchy & savory breakfast toast. Wash it down with a glass of OJ or almond / coconut milk. This gives me a great start to my day!

Xoxo…

Huevos Rancheros

 

This isn't my first, and will not be my last, blog post about huevos rancheros.  I LOVE them so much!  For me this breakfast dish takes me back to my childhood days. On Sundays mom would always make fried eggs, place them over a warm tortilla, and add freshly grilled salsa over them.  It was our Sunday thing and we loved it. 

 

When I first moved out on my own I bought a small cheap pan at my local latino store.  To my delight there was a recipe for huevos rancheros that came with the pan.  Hooray!  This was my first attempt ever at cooking from scratch.  It came out so good it became my favorite breakfast item.  It's slightly different than how mom made them (egg & tortilla are fried together) but as yummy as ever!

 

The recipe feeds four very hungry people. I usually follow the salsa instructions and save the extra salsa for another day.  I'm not sure if I posted the recipe before but just in case here it goes:

 

 

Ingredients -

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped (I change it up and often use different peppers like poblano)

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (I change it up here too with serrano)

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (you can also use fresh tomatoes)

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

8 large eggs

4 corn tortillas

 

Make salsa by softening onions, green peppers, and jalapeno peppers in a medium saucepan on medium heat for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add drained tomatoes, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper and allow to simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

 

Spray some non-stick spray on both sides of a tortilla and place it in another small pan on medium-low heat.  Cook the first side of the tortilla for about 3 minutes, flip, and carefully add two eggs on top of the tortilla.  Place two heaping tablespoons of salsa between the two eggs, cover, and bring heat to low.  Allow eggs to cook between 3-4 minutes, remove from heat and serve. 

 

Enjoy!

 

xoxo....

Greek Harvest Grain Salad

Here's my copy of the yummy farro salad I had! I cooked the chicken seperately and added it at the very end. This salad is yummy on its own without chicken but I added it for guests who need to have some meat with their salad. This salad would also be a great side to fish like salmon or tilapia. :)

- trader joe’s harvest grain blend (whole package cooked according to package instructions) *I used chicken broth instead of water
- 4 oz sun dried tomatoes
- 6 oz sliced kalamata olives
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- cucumber to taste, finely chopped
- 3 oz crumbled feta cheese (use less or more, to your taste)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: cook grains and chop onions, cucumber. Allow grains to cool and toss with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is better) to allow flavors to intensify