Sunday, June 9, 2013

Mango Banana Muffins





Mangos and bananas are two of my favorite fruits. Bananas are a staple food in most homes, available year round, perfect pair of peanut butter, and cheap too. Mangos are sadly only around for a very short time every year, expensive, but oh so yummy! If I had to choose 3 things to eat for the rest of my life, mangos and bananas would definitely be on my list. 

I am not a big fan of muffins, but when I came across this recipe I thought they would be a lovely addition to a sunday morning breakfast, specially because I had ripe bananas and some mangos laying around. The muffins were delicious with some homemade strawberry preserve that I got at a strawberry festival, where by the way they had no strawberries for sale! At least, they had really good homemade ice cream with strawberries. 

Happy sunday!




Mango Banana Muffins
Recipe slightly adapted from EatLiveRun

Makes 14-16 muffins

Ingredients


1 big ripe banana, mashed
1 ripe mango
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp baking powder


Directions


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Pure the mango in a blender.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut flakes.
4. In another bowl, whisk mango pure, mashed banana, oil, and eggs. 
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until smooth, try to not over mix (the batter will be thick).
6. Scoop batter into muffin tins (either greased or using cupcake paper liners). Sprinkle top of muffins with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I set my timer for 20 minutes and they were perfect.

Enjoy with some homemade jam! 









Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Anniversary Dulce de Leche Bars


I will start by saying that if you don't like cooking or baking or you think you can't bake or cook, it doesn't matter. This recipe will make everybody think that you are one AWESOME cook! 


Dulce de leche is so good! It is the Latin-American version of caramel and it is so much better; but then again I am biassed because I love my hispanic flavors. Dulce de leche is made with sweetened milk, hence the name; on the other hand, caramel is made from sugar. It is great on toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes, or just as a midnight snack replacing peanut butter (just not as healthy :)

This bars came together in no time. Mix store bought sugar cookie dough, oatmeal, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bake once. Spread dulce de leche from a can (or something fresh from the store if you are in Latin-America). Cover with second half of sugar cookie dough, oatmeal, brown sugar, and vanilla. Bake again. Cool down. Refrigerate (the longest part of the process!) EAT!!!!! 


Happy 2 year anniversary to my lovely husband and Happy birthday to my friend Valerie! 





Dulce de Leche Bars

Ingredients

2 rolls of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 1/2 cup quick oats or old fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 cans dulce de leche*
9x13 baking pan


Directions

1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Grease baking pan.
2. Stir or knead 1 roll of sugar cookie dough, 1/2 cup of sugar, 3/4 cups oats, 1 tsp vanilla. Press mixture evenly on the baking pan until you have an even crust. Bake for 14 min. (The crust will continue to bake on the step 4).
3. While crust is in the oven, soften dulce de leche in a small saucepan until it is soft enough to spread easily on crust. Spread on crust that you baked on step 2.
4. Stir or knead the rest of the cookie ingredients: 1 roll sugar cookie dough, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cups oats, 1 tsp vanilla. Crumble this mixture evenly over the dulce de leche. Bake for 20-25 min or until somewhat golden brown. Bars will continue to cook once you take them out of the oven.
5. Let them cool for 30 min. Then refrigerate for 1 hour. 
6. Cut in squares of your desired size and ENJOY! 




Sunday, May 26, 2013

Quinoa Black Bean Salad


Quinoa (the name comes from the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name kinwa) originated in the Andes region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It has been around for over 3,000 years, but most of us didn't know about it until it recently became a superfood. It contains essential amino acids and good quantities of calcium, phosphate, manganese, folate and protein.

Quinoa is generally cooked the same way as rice, except it has a much faster cooking time, and it can be used in many dishes. You can use it in salads, casseroles, hot breakfast cereal, stir fries, or just eat it instead of rice in any meal. Don't let the name discourage you or intimidate you. Give this salad a try and you will realize how easy to make quinoa is :)





Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Adapted from EatLiveRun

Serves 6-8


Ingredients

Salad:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
2 ears fresh corn, kernels chopped off (no cooking) or 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
cilantro to taste, I used half a bunch

Dressing:

Juice of 1-2 limes
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin or to taste
salt to taste


Directions

First cook quinoa: rinse 1/2 cup quinoa. Bring quinoa to a boil with the broth or water (I like broth because it makes a tastier quinoa). Reduce heat and simmer for 13-15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place all the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. If you are not eating all of it right away, I suggest you leave out the avocado and add it before eating.

In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients. Add quinoa to salad, then pour the dressing over the mix. Toss well and enjoy! 

Salad keeps for up to 5 days refrigerated in a sealed container. 







Sunday, May 12, 2013

Black Bean Burgers


Beans are among my favorite things to eat. I probably make black bean something once every week- black bean enchiladas, black bean chicken casserole, black beans and rice, a salad with black beans. What can I say, I absolutely love black beans! 

It has not been that way forever. I used to think beans were boring. Back in Honduras, the staple everyday meal consists of beans, rice, and chicken and for most families homemade corn tortillas. Most people eat that or something like that every single day. Rice is cheap, beans are (or more like used to) cheap (they aren't so cheap anymore, sadly), chicken is just our poultry of prefernce, and tortillas are our version of bread. Anyway, this plain way of serving beans made me like them not so much, until I discovered cuban style black beans :) Then I realized you could make awesome things with black beans! Throw some salsa in, some rice and chicken, hot sauce and you have an awesome simple meal. 

Now, black bean burgers probably sound like something that is just taking black beans a little to far, but trust me, if you like beans you will like black bean burgers! They are easy to make, easy to freeze, easy to throw together on a busy weeknight, and they are one tasty mess (or at least mine are). 





Black Bean Burger
Adapted from EatLiveRun
Makes around 6 patties (eat what you want, and freeze the rest of the patties!)


Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 
1 cup corn, drained and rinsed (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (can be left out)
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs or panko
1 egg white
3 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
2 tbsp salsa (only if you have it)
2-3 tsp cumin (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste


Directions

1. Mash 3/4 of the black beans and garlic with a fork ( if you own a food processor that works even better). When beans look smooth and resemble black bean dip add the jalapeno, spices, panko or breadcrumbs, salsa, and ketchup or tomato paste. Stir well. At this point, try the mash and adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the corn and the left over black beans into the mix and stir until combined. Finally, add the egg white and mix everything until smooth. 

2. Form black bean mixture into patties, and set in a cookie sheet. If ready to eat them, heat a little oil in a skillet and fry each patty for 3-4 min on each side, until crispy and golden. If freezing, set the patties in a baking sheet and place them in the freezer. When firm enough, store them in an airtight freezer bag. When ready to eat heat some oil and fry. No need to thaw!

3. Serve on a hamburger buns, with lettuce, tomato, avocado, ketchup and extra hot sauce!



Thursday, May 9, 2013

Chinese Dumplings

Chinese Dumplings





Dumplings, potstickers, gyoza- whatever name you know them by we can all agree they are delicious!
I was first introduced to dumplings back in Honduras by my friend Pauline  when we went out for dinner to a chinese restaurant with her family. Pauline talked to  the chef about what our group would want to eat, and they made it for us to order! The things she ordered where not even on the menu (and that is because in Honduras all chinese restaurants offer is fried rice and lo mien) She is that cool! 

Now don't be discouraged, this are very easy to make. You can fold like a half moon or with pleats. Its a great activity for bonding!

Special thanks to my friend Tyra for taking some awesome pictures and sharing a lovely afternoon with me :)





Chinese Dumplings
Recipe by Pauline 
Tutorial pictures from Steamy Kitchen

Makes approx. 50 dumplings

Ingredients

1 package of round dumpling wrappers
2 lbs ground pork
1 nappa cabbage or regular cabbage (chopped, blanched and squeezed) 
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1tbsp sesame oil


Directions

1. Mix the pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. If not ready to use right away refrigerate for up to 1 day.

2. Prepare your work area: put water in a little bowl (this will be the "glue"), have a baking sheet ready to place the dumplings, cut a piece of plastic wrap that is big enough to cover the baking sheet.

3. Take one dumpling wrapper, spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture onto the middle of the wrapper. Dip one finger into the water and “paint” the edges of the dumpling wrapper. Bring up the bottom side of the wrapper, fold up and press to shape into a half-moon shape or make pleats, encasing all of the filling. Place on baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and repeat with rest of dumplings. Make sure that the dumplings do not touch each other on the sheet.


4. When all your dumplings are ready you can do two things: cook them, or freeze them for a later use. If cooking, heat a large nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the dumplings, flat side down, not touching, to the pan. Let fry for 1 minute until the bottoms are light golden brown. Pour 1/4 cup of water into the pan and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Turn heat to medium and let the dumplings steam for 3 minutes. Open lid and let the remaining liquid cook off about 1 minute.

5. If freezing, place the dumplings in the freezer for 1 hour. Store them in ziplock bags. When ready to eat follow step #4, no need to thaw them.

Serve with soy sauce, gyoza dipping sauce, or mix 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp, of rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. sesame oil.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Banana oatmeal chocolate chip bars


A great bar recipe to use those ripe bananas sitting in your counter! Plus you can have them for breakfast or snack, instead of that protein bar that comes in a box :)




Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
2/3 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray non stick 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
2. Mash the banana with a fork. Then add the oil and brown sugar until no lumps are left in the mix.
3. In another smaller bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, salt, and oats.
4. Mix into wet ingredients and add chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 15 min or until edges are golden. Let cool before cutting. (I ommited this step because they looked too good :)



Saturday, April 20, 2013

Papaya Mango Smoothie


One of the things that I miss the most about Honduras is our wonderful mango season. I used to wait the whole year for this time of the year to come. Every year around March, one could start seeing mangos being sold in the streets, at every stop light, at the supermarkets, in the market, they are all around! Oh I miss mango season and I miss the price of mangos down in Honduras. Three mangos for $1 !
I find it crazy that so many people here have never tried a mango! But then again, I had never had a real raspberry until I moved over here (btw, rasperries just taste like raspberry flavored candy to me). Mangos are hard to find around here and feel like a luxury in my opinion at one mango for $1. But it is a price that I am willing to pay because I LOVE MANGOS!
Now papaya I am not crazy about, but in this smoothie it is awesome! If you have never seen or tried one google it. They are great for your digestive system. If you can't find any at your local supermarket substitute for banana or pineapple.
If you love mango or papaya or both you should definitely give this smoothie a try! It was awesome!!!


Papaya Mango Smoothie
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
2 cups of papaya, cubed (you could use pineapple here too)
1/2 cup orange juice or juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup of milk of your choice
Sweetener of your choice (I used splenda)
1/2 cup of coconut milk, from a can or box
Ice
Directions
Put all your ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth! Enjoy!
Note: for a quick breakfast, I left my fruit ready in the blender the night before and just added the liquids in the morning. I didn't use any ice.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Mango & Corn Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo is the name for fresh salsa in Latin America. It is really good with tacos, quesadillas, chips, beans, nachos, burritos, and the list can go on. One of the great things about pico de gallo is that you don't have to stick to a recipe. You can add onions or leave them out, add less lime juice or more, make it spicy or mild. It's a great recipe for a hot day when you don't want to use your stove.

Hope you enjoy it!



Mango & Corn Pico de Gallo


Ingredients

1 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 cup corn
juice of 1 lime
cilantro to taste
1 cup mango, diced
salt and pepper to taste
cumin to taste


Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. Enjoy!

P.s. If you have any pineapple in the refrigerator, go ahead and add some. It makes it even better!






Tuesday, April 9, 2013

BBQ Chicken Calzone

BBQ Chicken Calzone

Let me start by saying that I have yet to be successful at making homemade pizza dough. I have tried several times and I can't seem to ever get it right. We have therefore settled to eating homemade pizza whose crust consists of a flour tortilla (more on that to come soon.)

Walking around Trader Joe's last weekend, I ran into their ready to use pizza dough in their salad/cheese/fruit section and I though this would make for a perfect Sunday night dinner.

I apologize for the only picture we took. We were starving and the house smelled wonderful!




Bbq Chicken Calzone 


Ingredients

Pizza dough of your choice (I used Trader Joe's whole wheat)
1-2 cups shredded chicken
Bbq sauce to taste (I used Stubbs)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese (more or les)

Optional
Browned onions
Cilantro


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet or pizza stone.

1. Follow the instructions on how to thaw or prepare the pizza dough. When it is ready, divide the pizza dough in 4 balls or more if you have more dough. Roll each ball until it is 1/2 inch thick.

2. Combine some bbq sauce with the chicken. If you are adding browned onions add them to the chicken at this point.

3. Add a spoonful of sauce to one half of the dough, then add some chicken (as much as you want), top with some cheese and extra sauce. Throw in some cilantro and fold the calzone in half, making sure you seal the edges tightly. Poke with a fork on top once or twice. Repeat this step for each calzone you are putting together.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the calzone look brown. When ready take out of the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so. Serve with extra sauce!

Enjoy :)


Sunday, February 24, 2013

John's Birthday Brownies

I just have one thing to say: This brownies were AMAZING! (Thanks to Katie for the book!)






John's Birthday Brownies 

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker Ultimate Fudge brownie mix (plus egg, oil, & water called for in mix)
36 caramels unwrapped
1 cup (or more) milk chocolate chips
3 tbsp whipping cream


Directions

Heat oven to 350F. Cover bottom of 9-inch square pan with parchment or foil paper and spray bottom with non stick spray and with flour. Make brownie batter as directed. Spread half the batter in pan. Bake 13-18 minutes, depending how fudgie you want them to be.

Meanwhile melt caramels and whipping cream on low heat in the a small saucepan.

Pour caramel sauce over partially baked brownie. Spread to withing 1/4 inch of edges. Spirnkle with a uniform layer of chocolate chips. Drop remaining brownie batter by small spoonfuls onto caramel layer. Add another layer of chocolate chips.

Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until center is almost set. (Be careful here not to over bake). Cool 1 hour at room temperature. Refrigerate covered for 1 hour before serving. Cut into desired size and enjoy!





Sunday, January 27, 2013

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

It has been so cold this weekend here in Cincinnati that I have been eating soup and oatmeal and drinking a lot of tea and coffee. I also have seen the whole second season of Downton Abbey. Which everyone should see!



Anyway, I had a lot of rice leftover in the refrigerator and I did not want it to go to waste. I also had some broccoli that I wanted to use before it went bad. So I looked for recipes that used both ingredients and I came across this "healthy" version of a chicken broccoli rice casserole. I was very hesitant because most this recipes use some kind of canned soup and they always taste the same. But this one recipe was much better than I expected. It would be a perfect weeknight meal. You could leave it ready the night before and throw it in the oven the next day. It's a great recipe. It was easy, cheap, and warm!

P.s. Sorry for the not so great picture, my husband was starving and I couldn't take a decent enough picture of the whole casserole. It tastes much better than it looks ;)




Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Adapted from Live Cook Love

Serves 3
Very easy and fast

Ingredients

2 cups of broccoli cut into small bite-size pieces
2 cups of cooked white or brown rice
2 large chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove mashed
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp flour
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar and mozzarella)
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste


Directions

Add the rice and the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower temperature and simmer for 10 minutes . Add the broccoli on top of the rice and cover. This will allow the broccoli to steam. Cook for 10 more minutes and remove from heat.

Add the chicken, garlic, and chicken to a hot skillet. Let chicken cook through on both sides. When chicken is done remove from heat onto a plate. 

In the same pan, add the milk and flour and whisk until combined. Simmer for 5 minutes and add sour cream and half of the shredded cheese. Add aditional garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. When cheese melts, add the chicken, rice, and broccoli to the sauce and stir everything to combine. Pour into a grease casserole pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and more if you want to.

Broil casserole until cheese melts (5-10 min). Serve warm with bread of your choice!

If making the night before, prepare the casserole as directed. When ready to eat, sprinkle cheese and broil until cheese melts. 


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Lemon Bars

I love lemon bars, or better said lime bars. Honduran lemons= USA limes. So when I say lemon bars, its actually lime bars. I did not know that until a few months back when I moved to the United States.

Anyway here I share with you my favorite recipe of lemon bars. It is soooo good!




Lemon bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

Crust:
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt

Lemon Filling
6 large eggs
2- 2 1/2 cups of sugar (depending how sweet or sour you want them)
1 cup- around 8 limes- freshly squeezed lime juice (you can use lemons if you prefer)
1 cup flour

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

For the crust: Cream sugar and butter either by hand or in a mixer. When combined, add the flour until just mixed. It will look like crumbs. Put the crumbs in the baking pan and spread out evenly and then press them down with your fingers until you have and even looking crust.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until it has lightly browned edges. Let cool, and leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk all the lemon filling ingredients and carefully pour on baked crust. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until  center looks set. Let cool to room temperature.

Dust with confectioner's sugar and enjoy!




Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Mini Bean Pizzas

Tortillas are a big thing in Honduras, and probably all of Central America and Mexico. Yet, I had never made corn tortillas before on my own. A typical Honduran meal will include corn tortillas. You can have them with beans and eggs for breakfast, or rice, beans and chicken for lunch and dinner, or simply any meal that you desire to.

Most Honduran homes will have tortillas with every single meal. Some families will have homemade tortillas, while other families, such as mine, will probably have store bought tortillas. If all you have ever tried are store bough corn tortillas, you are missing out! Homemade corn tortillas do not taste any like store bought.

When I was a little girl I remember going to my grandmas house or my aunts house and their maids  (having a maid is pretty common in latin culture) would be making tortillas and I would have them warm and fresh- you can't even imagine how tasty warm homemade tortillas with melted butter or crema (our version of sour cream) are!

So this weekend I decided to take the challenge! I invited a friend over (because cooking hard things with friends is more fun than on my own) and we made homemade tortillas. Then we topped them off with beans and cheese for Mini Bean Pizzas!

Don't let the tortilla making scare you! Try this out and you wont regret it :)






Ingredients

Tortillas:
2 cups maseca (corn masa flour found at the Mexican area in supermarket)
1 1/4 cups of water (more or less as needed)
Pinch of salt


Beans:
1 can of pinto beans or 1 can of refried beans
2 chicken chorizos
1 cup of mild salsa or tomato sauce


Garnish:
Tomato slices
Onion slices
Sharp, mozzarella, mexican, colby cheese (any shredded cheese)
Crema or sour cream
Avocado

Directions

Tortillas
In a mixing bowl combine masa harina and salt. Add water and combine until smooth and a little sticky. If the dough is too dry add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. Dough should feel more or less like playdough. Divide into 16 portions. If you are not going to use the dough right away, cover with a damp cloth to keep the dough moist. (I had never made tortillas before so I followed the instructions in the back of the bag.) Make each portion into a ball and flatten gently with your hands, then put the ball in between plastic wrap and either use a tortilla press to flatten tortilla gently or press with a plate or skillet.

Preheat ungreased skillet or comal on medium-high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time for 1 minute on each side. Cover cooked tortillas with cloth napkin to keep soft and warm. 


Beans
Preheat skillet. Take chorizo out of the casing and cook in ungreased skillet. When the chorizo starts looking brown add the beans. If you are using the pinto beans mash them with a potato masher, if you are using the refried beans just combine. Once beans and chorizo are hot add the salsa and some cumin and black pepper. If you want it spicy go ahead and add some hot sauce or jalapenos!


Layering the Mini Bean Pizzas
When you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 450 deegres. In a cookie sheet place as many tortillas as you want or can fit, spread some of the bean mix, then add tomatoes and onion, and last add the cheese.  Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. When they come out of the oven, garnish with avocados, sour cream and even queso fresco if you have any! 











Thursday, January 17, 2013

Overnight Oats in a Jar

I love breakfast and lately I am in love with oatmeal. On a normal day, I will have eggs, toast, and cottage cheese for breakfast. Not so long ago though, I discovered baked oatmeal and I liked it so much I've had to include it in my weekly breakfast rotation. That is why when I saw overnight oats in a jar on Pinterest I got curious.



At first I wasn't sure if it was going to turn out any good, but this week I decided to try it. Oh, I am so glad I did! I made it the night before with high hopes, and the next morning I decided it was a keeper! My husband concurred :)



Overnight Oats in a Jar (or any container you can seal!)
Adapted from Kath Eats Real

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup old fashioned oats (you can use quick oats, steel cut, rolled oats)
1/2 cup of milk (any kind you like, even almond or soy)
2 spoonfuls of your favorite yogurt (I used plain because that was all I had but I will try greek vanilla soon)
Sweetener of your taste, aka splenda, sugar, honey, maple syrup
Handful of blueberries (any berry fresh or frozen)
Half banana
Flax seeds or chia seeds (optional)

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in the jar, shake, and refrigerate overnight!
When you are ready to eat you can add granola, cereal, nuts, more fruit. The possibilities are endless. Just don't add pineapple ;)




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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I love cooking!

My name is Andrea and I am from San Pedro Sula, Honduras. I moved to the United States last summer with my husband who goes to med school in Cincinnati, Ohio. I love baking, I love cooking, I love food. I love healthy meals that taste good, because who says eating healthy has to be boring? Our kitchen always has beans, corn, chicken, fruits, and dessert! Because what is better tasting than black beans and sugar?

I started working in the kitchen when I was younger and I would spend a lot of time with my aunt. She baked back then and let me help with mixing cupcake batter. After a while, I became a Betty Crocker expert, impressing my friends and family with my baked goods, while Betty got no credit. One summer my grandma gave me a recipe for carrot bread and a honduran coffee cake called quesadilla (not like the mexican food) and I baked and sold my goods! After that summer I never put my baked goods for sale again, but I never stopped baking.

I can't quite recall when or why it happened, but cooking became on of my favorite things to do.
Food became my passion. I dream about food, I talk about food, I eat food.

I hope you all enjoy the recipes I will be sharing with you as much as I will enjoy sharing them with you.