Cooking Class at Chefworks!

Cooking Class at Chefworks!

GEFU spiralizer

Spiralized Zucchini Noodles

 

My dear fellow readers, I am so happy to share with you my upcoming class at Chefworks in downtown Santa Cruz! The class will be on Zoodles! In case you haven’t heard the buzz on what those zoodles are, they are marvelous zucchini noodles created with a spiral slicer. You can create any sauce of your liking, just as you would for your favorite pasta noodles. Please stop by if you are around in town, curious about what zoodles are, or want to try a sample of these delicious zucchini noodles, please stop by at Chefworks on Pacific Ave, I’ll be there from 1-4pm. Further details are posted in the flyer below… 🙂

GEFU-spiral-slicer

Zoodle Class in Santa Cruz, CA at Chefworks

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Purple Carrot, Havarti & Mushroom Soup

Purple Carrot, Havarti & Mushroom Soup

Purple Carrot, Havarti & Mushroom Soup

Weeelcome February! We have made it through the first month of the new 2015 year. It’s crazy to think how these numbers will continue to increase. What ever happened to the 90’s? I remember when I was a kid, I asked an older dear friend, Ramai, what year came after 1999? He laughed and laughed…till this day we still joke about it…eventually I found out that the 2000’s were going to predominate. So we are in February 2015 and this is an exciting month for me, for when the days of winter seem endless, bright and warm sunny days bring back the air of summer. As it makes a bridge towards planting March lets not also forget the joys of February is to remind others how much we love and care about them. So with this warm and creamy soup I enthusiastically welcome this month of sharing, hope, and love.

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Happy Holidays Wishes from Dhani

Happy Holidays Wishes!The Vegetarian Blog

Dear subscribers,

This year has been full of new memories, adventures and unexpected opportunities. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continuous support.  I am so grateful to you all and I hope you enjoy these seasons in the company of your loved ones and have a great new years! Happy Holidays!

Your Vegetarian Blogger,
Dhanistha Rivera

Dhanistha-the-vegetarian-blogger

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Vegan Crispy French Toast

vegan french toast

This fall and winter season I’m having an affair with pumpkin spice and I’ve been playing with its aromatic flavors on many dishes both savory and sweet. But today, prepare to sink your teeth in layers of flavor and texture on this amazing french toast recipe. French toast is usually my to go recipe when I have nothing in my pantry or fridge for breakfast. And since this recipe is so quick and simple, even your kids can help you make this.

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Nopales Tamales

Nopales Tamales

Vegetarian Tamales

Holy Tamale it’s a recipe for Nopales Tamales! The long awaited nopale tamale recipe is recorded and being written down on The Vegetarian Blog! After the 5th Annual Nopales Festival, the doors have opened for me to a whole new business opportunity, which I will briefly narrate. But first I want to thank those that patiently have been waiting for this recipe and I’m grateful for your continuous support!

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Mexican Tacos de Nopales

Tacos de Nopales

Dear friends and family this month has been so busy with exciting family surprises, the ebook production of Breakfast With Tofu, my contest in Santa Cruz for Nopales Recipes, colorful Mexican treats from a long awaited parent’s trip, and just a whole lot of appreciation and gratitude. This past Saturday I entered a Mexican cactus recipe contest for the Festival de Nopales in Santa Cruz CA, I submitted a recipe to compete at the cactus festival and was given 10 pounds of nopales along with all their respectable prickly thorns. My mother Kirtida who had come to visit from Texas, gladly helped me peel and remove the flesh and thorns from the flesh of the green nopale cactus.  I decided to go with my traditional michoacán  *Corundas filled with sautéd Nopales and Corn, and a Salsa of Nopales, Chipotle & Avocado.
*Corundas are Michoacán style tamales steamed in fresh green corn leaves, not husks.

I arrived at noon at the recipe contest booth and I had not even finished setting up my table, and there was already a line waiting for me! I was so excited but nervous at the same time! And to add to my bottle of nervousness, my competitors were from a culinary school in San Jose! The way the competition worked was they bought .25 cent per tasting and ticket. So if they liked my dish they would vote for me and buy more tickets to vote and place them in my vote box. But after a few hours of hungry consumers eager to taste a Michoacán Mexican flavor, I was 30 minutes out of everything before the contest was closed! I was so bummed I had not enough food to continue and was sure that this disadvantage was my downfall. I was so sad. When the competition ended, the administrators came and took our vote boxes. After they did the voting ticket count, they took us up on stage to announce the winner. Jaquie Perez who was a volunteer coordinator stepped up to introduce her self and announce the winner. “And the first place for the recipe contest at the Festival de Nopales is Dhanisthaaa!” Wooww, I couldn’t believe I won, even with the lack of time to continue on, I had enough votes that had saved me! I can’t thank enough for all the people that continued to come back for more and voted for me. To Tony and Jaquie for the opportunity in this recipe contest and I’m also grateful for the Santa Cruz Community Gardens for allowing me to pick their fresh corn leaves from their gardens, because without them there would be no Corundas and my family & friends for all their loving support and kindness. Yay for the Festival de Nopales!

Nopalesandbeans

As a token of appreciation to the people of Santa Cruz, California I will post the Corunda & salsa’s recipe from the contest sometime this week, but before I do, I want to share this nopal taco recipe that reunited my parents and sister on their first day home. Nopales have magic healing powers to them and nooo I’m not just saying Mexican superstitious myths but they actually do have many nutritional benefits, click here for Nopal nutrition info. Well I hope you like these tacos and your familia does more!

Tacos de Nopales

Serves aproximately 4 🙂

Nopales
1/8 olive oil
7-10 “penkas” of nopal (whole green leaf cactus) thorns removed and sliced lengthwise ¼ – ½ inch
1/2 red onion, halved and sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas
salt to taste

Frijoles Negros
1 cup cooked black beans
1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Salsa Fresca
1 tbsp oil
3 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 green Serrano chili
1/4 red or yellow onion
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

In a large saucepan, heat oil on high and add onion and half of cilantro. Let sit for 30 seconds then stir for 1 minute and add nopales. Continue to stir every other second for 2 minutes. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes. Prick them with a knife to see if they are cooked and tender and remove the lid. If liquid is absorbed you can add a few tbsp of water. Continue to stir until they get a dark roasted color. You want to cook them on high and with enough oil to remove the sliminess of the cactus. The result will end similar to the texture of a cooked bell pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes and add salt and the rest of the cilantro.

For the beans to serve with the tacos, heat up butter on a medium flame and add cilantro till it sizzles then add beans. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until hot. You can continue to cook them down and also refry them by mashing them and adding more butter! Hehe unless your watching your calories or vegan, you can also top with queso fresco!

To make the salsa, stir fry tomatoes and Serrano chili on a tbsp of oil on high heat till they bruise. Remove and place in food processor or blender along with onions and cilantro. Blend in short pulses till its chopped, watch out not to puree it. Sometimes when you accidently heat your salsa while blending, it will cook the cilantro and it doesn’t taste good at all!

As far as the penkas of nopal, I highly suggest you buying the green cactus leaves already peeled, this will save you time and also the risk of having nasty thorns in your hands. However if you would like a demo on how to peel a nopal I can provide that upon request. Just send me a message in the comment box below I seriously do not want to see anybody hurt!

I hope you guys enjoy these tacos and I have not bored you with so many letters! Gosh I think this is the longest post ever! Thank you sooo much for reading! xoxo

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TacosdeNopales

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