Café con Leche

Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper.
2 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced garlic
1 yellow Peruvian chile or aji amarillo diced
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 5 to 6 lemons
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan, and add the season chicken. Sear chicken until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the chicken and add the onions and garlic and cook at medium-low heat until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the yellow chile and return the chicken to the pan. Spoon some of the onions over the chicken, cover and cook for 10, until chile sauce has completely infused the mixture and the chicken is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and cook another 10 minutes, to allow flavors to meld.

Posted by Rosa at 10:11 PM | Permalink

Ingredients

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Salt
8 large radishes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
6 cups mixed baby greens, washed and dried
1 large or 2 small mangoes, peeled, fruit cut off the seed and cubed
2 cups peeled and cubed jicama (cut into about 1/2-inch cubes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk the peanut butter and lime juice until smooth. Add the brown sugar, vegetable oil and some salt and whisk until combined. Add enough water to thin the sauce and give it a dressing-like consistency, about 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Place the radishes, greens, mangoes, jicama and cilantro in a large bowl and toss together.

Posted by Rosa at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon, cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice cubes
2 cups club soda

Place the watermelon and ice cubes in a blender and blend until liquefied. Slowly add club soda and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses, garnish with limes and serve.

Posted by Rosa at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
6 cups milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
sugar to taste

In a medium saucepan, place the oats, cinnamon stick and milk over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the oatmeal is thick, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, to taste, and set the oatmeal aside to cool slightly.

Transfer the oatmeal to a container, add vanilla extract, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain the liquid and serve cold. Add more milk if you want it thinner.

Posted by Rosa at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1 cup each of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
juice from 1/2 orange
1/2 Tablespoon of maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, sliced

Place the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in a medium glass bowl. Add mint leaves, orange juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract and toss. Place fruits in serving bowls and place bananas slices on top.

This is great for breakfast as well as for dessert.

Posted by Rosa at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I recently discovered the condiment Achiote (ah-chee-OH-tay) and have been having fun trying it out. Achiote is made with annatto seeds and is used to give color, and of course as an excellent seasoning. Achiote is very common in dishes from the Yucatan Peninsula in the southeast of Mexico. It's ideal for marinates or to prepare grilled meats such as fish or chicken.

Marinade
One 3.5 oz Achiote Paste
1/3 cup fresh lime juice

Break achiote paste into a food processor and add the lime juice. Process until smooth.

I use this marinate to add flavor to grilled fish. It also good with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Posted by Rosa at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

La otra orilla by Julio Cortázar

Book Description
Written between 1937 and 1945, these stories are Cortázar’s first leap into story telling. As a model of self-criticism, he refused to publish almost all of them; fifty years later critics acclaimed them as an impressive sample that anticipated the capacities of this magnificent writer. Whether it is with science fiction, or adapting popular mythological figures, Cortázar manages to make any subject contemporary, with a sober style, and always a revolutionary concept towards the fantastic.

The book is divided in to three parts. The first two parts "Plagios y traducciones" and "Historias de Gabriel Medrano" are similar in style - each story having an ambiguous ending. You are left doubting whether or not things really happen in reality. I did not like the third part as much- "Prolegómenos a la Astronomía."

The book is written in a manner that was very difficult for me to read. The sentences didn't flow nicely and there were many words that I had to look up. The stories were written in the early 1940s so this might be the reason why I had difficulty with the language.

Posted by Rosa at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)