Getting in touch with my Roots

Over the Thanksgiving break I had taken my brothers Peruvian cook book called The Art of Peruvian Cuisine back to school with me. My dad also has a copy of the book and always cooks up storms in my moms kitchen. Whenever I visit Peru I try to squeeze in all my favorite meals on short trips. My dad grew up in Peru and one of his passions is cooking. Our entire family and friends knows this about him and loves coming over on the weekends to see what he is stirring up. I don't own any cook books, whenever I want to know how something is made I resort to the internet or a quick phone call to my parents.

With the combination of missing my favorite Peruvian dishes and not knowing how to create my favorite Peruvian cuisines that was enough reason to snatch my brothers cook book over my Thanksgiving break. I decided to make a popular summer meal called Causa. Causa can be made with a variety of fillings and I choose to make it with Tuna. Some may use chicken, fish, and even octopus. It is really up to the cook. With the combination of my own ideas and the instructions from the cook book, I'm not going to lie, but my Causa was DELICIOUS!!! Be jealous.

The ingredients:
2lbs of yellow potatoes (gold potatoes is okay too)
1/2 cub of olive oil
1 can of tuna
1 white onion diced
1/4 of vinegar
Aji amarillo powder
1 key lime
salt
2 avocado
2 tablespoons of mayo
2 boiled eggs
Peruvian olives

Here is the low down...
First, peel the potatoes and then boil the potatoes until soft (for about 20 minutes). Also, boil 2 eggs ( for about 15 minutes).While the potatoes boil cut up your onions and marinate the onions in vinegar. Slice the avocado. Open the can of tuna and mix two tablespoons of mayo, mix well. To give the tuna extra flavor I mixed just a tad of the marinated onions in with the tuna. Once the eggs are boiled slice them like a wedge. Strain the potatoes well and begin to mash them. Add the olive oil, sprinkle ahi amarillo powder and squeeze the lime. Mix throughly until all ingredients are well blended.

The fun begins when you start to layer. I layered my Causa on a simple plate but others have different techniques.

First, I spread a thin rectangular layer of the mash potato mix. Make sure the sides and top are smooth with each layer you add before adding a new layer. The second layer I laid the avocado slices down and made sure their were no missing gaps. Spread another thin layer of potato, then the tuna mixture, potato, avocado and finally potato. Remember to smooth the edges and top.

I garnished the Causa with the boiled eggs and peruvian olives on top, with salsa on the side.

To make my salsa. You mix the marinated onions, olives, dice the leftover avocado, and dice one tomato.

Bon Appetit!

Study Breaks

Midterms and finals are overwhelming and stressful, luckily for me I'm not a biology major. According to the bio majors I took the easy route. I am a communications major. Even as a communication major I too have had to pull all nighters, wake up extra early to cram for an exam that contains everything I learned from an entire semester which is pretty close to impossible.

While cramming I always get distracted wither it's a notification on Facebook, a text message from a friend to meet a group of friends at the bar, or my stomach growling. My normal fix for a growling stomach during studying would be a bag of Munchies chips from 7/11, but I was craving Panera Bread. Since high school my girlfriends and I would always have lunch and we'd all get the "You Pick Two" where you pick two items from a soup, salad or sandwich. In my case I couldn't find a friend available to eat and distract me from studying, and going out to eat really isn't in my budget. I decided to make my own version of the "You Pick Two.

I used Chicago style bread. (thinner then normal white bread) 

Cheddar Cheese

Tomatoes

Horseradish

Honey Smoked Ham

and for the salad...

Romaine Letus

Tomatoes 

Parmesan Cheese 

Creamy Caesar Dressing

Bye the way, this post is a distraction. 

Bon Appetit!

Grown Up Parties

In college Halloween is the one of many times of the year you can dress slutty and get away with it. No judgement. Since I was a freshman I've celebrated Halloween hard by partying as a Referee at UCF, sophomore year Indiana Jones at FSU, and junior year stayed local and bar tended as a Devil, and BANKED! This year, my final year in college, it was go big or go home! I celebrated four nights in a row. Devil again, bar tended as a Pirate, Fire Fighter at my grown up party (which I'll get to later), and spent the actual Halloween night as Bat Woman. I may have gone a bit out of the top this year and destroyed my liver for eternity, but by Tuesday morning it was all worth it.

In the beginning of October my friend Ashley, who graduated last Spring, invited me via Facebook to her Halloween party on a Saturday. I rarely see Ashley and my old group of friends anymore because they have graduated and have big girl careers. It stinks to be younger sometimes, but then I realize they wake up before the sun rises. That would not work for me, at least not right now. Typical adults only party on the weekends. The instruction were BYOB and bring a dish. Every time I eat with my older friends they are always concerned about healthy foods and avoid junk. I decided to make Zucchini Boats.  When I arrived to the party pan full of Zucchini Boats to my surprise their was tons of food and booze. I was officially at a GROWN UP PARTY without my parents.

The bar was full of name brand alcohol, such as 1800, Grey Goose, Bacardi, and Patron. Tons of mixer options, garnishes and an ice box, all to share. At a normal college party BYOB meant hold your cheap ABC liquor brand vodka, wine from 7/11 or 18 pack of Natty Light as close to you as possible and DO NOT place it down. At the grown up party the food table had dinner food, appetizers, and deserts, with a Halloween festive decor. At a college party you raid the party throwers pantry and cross your fingers they have chips you can sneak and eat before someone asks what you are doing.

No one was screaming, spilling drinks all over the floor, or causing drama. I felt grown up and my dish was a hit! Hands down this was my best Halloween to date!

How to make Zucchini Boats

You will need:
Zucchini
Ricota Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Asiago Cheese
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Italian Bread Crumbs
Peper

To prepare set the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the Zucchini in half the long way. Then cut the center out of the Zucchini like a boat. Mix all three cheese together with garlic powder, onion powder, and paper. Mix very well. Then with a spoon overflow the zucchini with the cheese blend. Then lightly bread the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. To check for perfection look for melting and browning of the cheese and the bread crumbs to darken.

Bon Appétit!

Diets are Trending

Skinny. Fat. Thin. Thick. These are words girls, teenagers, and women use daily to talk about their own image. Society has molded us to believe we should fit a certain criteria. When I look in the mirror I want to loose my love handles, want my stomach to be flatter, and my thighs to be thinner. When someone wants to loose a few pounds they start a diet, cheat on the weekends, and eventually quit dieting. In order to have real success the key is to change your eating habits, not diet for a period of time and fall back into your unhealthy diet. I'm know nutritionist but eating healthy and exercising regularly is the onyl way to be happy with yourself.

Growing up my mom always served a salad at dinner. The salad usually consisted of a spring mix or romaine lettuces with tomatoes and red onions, and olive oil and vinegar. In my fourth year of college I have kept up with the tradition to have a salad at dinner. Salads are healthy if you don't add a creamy dressing to the mix. A simple salad is quick and easy for the busy lifestyle of a senior college student who is constantly on the go! 

In my salad:

Romaine Lettuce

Black Olives (sliced)

Tomatoes

White Onion

Avacado (my favorite) 

Vingar and Oil 

I am know nutritionist but eating healthy and exercising regularly is the only way to be happy with yourself.

Bon Appétit! 

Senior Year

Senior year is in full force, sorority recruitment is behind me, midterms are creeping closer, and my future is becoming a reality check. Freshman year was full of Mac and Cheese, boxed mash potatoes, and Cheese Itz. I loved going home and having many home cooked meals and prep meals to take home with me too. Now that I am a senior I've learned how much I love to cook my own meals and inventing new creations. Although, while I cook I always have Google up on my Macbook to search for a recipe and have my parents are speed dial to quickly confirm how long to cook something in the oven for, or questions on how they made a certain meal taste so delicious. 

I am creating this blog because I am consumed in my social life, addicted to my television shows, and working part time at Bonefish Grill. I realized when someone would ask my hobby, I don't really have a solid response. Since attending college I've given up my hobbies, like playing soccer and drawing. I didn't realize I loved cooking until I moved away from home and didn't sign up for a meal plan. I choose to write about cooking because I believe everyone loves a good meal and can relate to the screw ups and success of cooking. 

Today this idea of starting blog pop into my head while cooking dinner tonight. Recently I went to dinner with two of my girlfriends after sorority chapter to one my favorite restaurants Carrabbas. For dinner I had their Rosa Maria Chicken and I always choose mash potatoes as my side because mash potatoes is one of my favorite foods. The server had bad news that they were all out of mash potatoes... odd I thought...  He offered zucchini or spinach, growing up my two least favorite vegetable next to brussels sprouts. I choose the zucchini and it was delicious. Tonight I had to mimic the yummy zucchini. 

To prep, I sliced the zucchini like a french fry and chopped up a white onion up. Then I put olive oil in a pan and simmered minced garlic until it sizzled. Once I added the zucchini and onion, I added pepper and dry basil. I sautéed the veggies until the zucchini softened then added a can of diced tomatoes, let it cook for a few more minutes. To top the meal of I grilled a chicken breast and boiled angel hair pasta. 

Overall I was completely pleased with my meal and sent mobile uploaded to my mom like a regularly do when I have a colorful and delicious meal! 

Until next time, bon appetite!!