Batalla de Puebla

Hello hello blogosphere. I'm here to deliver the much anticipated blog post about the most celebrated Mexican holiday in the United States--notice I didn't say America because I feel strongly against the definition of a country with the name of a continent. Ironically, it is also the least celebrated holiday in Mexico.

That's right folks, 5 de Mayo is not a work holiday in Mexico, it is not a lets-wear-sombreros-and-drink-margaritas day, and it most certainly not our 4th of July. What it is, is a day to commemorate the first battle in which Mexico defeated France; and a day of hope for the Mexican military forces. Go nuts with the Wikipedia article here.

That said, I have to admit that this holiday is a great opportunity to showcase Mexican gastronomy. It is great motivation for any passionate foodie--and even more for us Mexicans--to put together a gourmet meal. And this year was no exception: I'm proud to say (or write) that for the first time ever, I made a batch of traditional green salsa from scratch.

You may be laughing at the fact that my super proud moment consisted of throwing some ingredients into a blender and simmering the mixture for a while, but salsa is everywhere in Mexican cuisine. It is in enchiladas and chilaquiles, and huevos rancheros and enfrijoladas; atop tacos and molletes, and sopes and fajitas. It is a great dressing for meat and an even better dip for totopos (tortilla chips). If you have salsa, you're all set.

Here my is meal for my cinco de mayo: marinated fajitas, mango pico de gallo, loaded guacamole Enjoy!

Marinated Chicken Fajitas with Lime (adapted from Martha Stewart)
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes + marinating.
Makes about 6 servings.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 large bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips
• 1 large white onion, halved and sliced lengthwise

1. In a large bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic salt and chili powder in a large bowl. Add chicken, bell peppers and onion. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place in a Ziploc bag and let stand in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to four hours. 
2. Heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan or wok. Add chicken and vegetables and cook, flipping once or twice, until chicken is done, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with tortillas, guac and salsa.

Wake up to the smell of muffins

Houston, we have a problem. You those days--or weeks I should say--when you're all of a sudden not at all inspired to do something that you're usually very passionate about? Almost like those times when you have to write an essay and the harder you try the worse your sentences seem to sound.

Well thats how I've been feeling lately about blogging. It's been so hard for me to come up with ideas for new posts--the pre-food content part, because come on, how hard can it be to come up with delicious food to eat?--that I'd rather make up stupid excuses for not blogging. I've used the classic, "I don't have time," or "there's things that have to be done." Then there's the "nobody is going to ready it on a Friday or Saturday, so why bother?,"or the overused "I'll post tomorrow" lines. But worse of all is that I've used these excuses on myself.

Nobody is on my back pressuring me to write up a post on a daily--or even weekly--basis; no one is sending me annoying emails asking why my work isn't done in time. It's all me and my type A personality--although lately its been fading.

But look at that, I just took my lack of inspiration and turned it into a blog post! So now I can go on to ramble about the yummy bran muffins I made yesterday morning. Very easy, very healthy and quite tasty. Pair one with a bowl of raspberries and a mug of steaming Ristretto coffee--yes I do own a Nespresso machine--and you've go yourself a gourmet breakfast! Enjoy!

Blueberry Bran Muffins (adapted from Spark Recipes)
Makes 12 muffins.
Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes + cooling

• 2 cups All Bran cereal
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients and let stand for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile place liners in a regular cupcake pan or spray with non-stick spray.
2. Add egg whites, vanilla, applesauce and blueberries; mix well. Mix in dry ingredients until well incorporated.
3. Distribute batter among prepared cupcake pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool and serve warm.

Vegged Out Grilled Cheese

True story, I fell and dislocated my finger and it was forcibly popped back into place twice--yes two times, the first one was a fail. But the real fail was the way the accident happened. I fell into a friend's lap, face first into a plate of nachos; my finger stuck in the slits of a pool chair. Needless to say, I was embarrassed and annoyed at myself.

Since then I've spent a week as a lefty and countless hours staring at my still-swollen index finger. I'm still the laughing stock of many of my friends--I think I will never be spared--and I'm still struggling to make a full fist. I'm not however worried about the aesthetics of my hand. I might never be able to fully straighten my finger again, and this might bother my mom endlessly, but I think nicks like these are what make people interesting. They usually come with a story that always sparks up a conversation or at the very least makes someone laugh.

So, I'll stick with my crooked finger if it means I can keep my friends laughing for a while.

Now let's talk food. Someday this week--can't remember if it was Monday or Tuesday--I stopped at a cute little food store on my way back from work. I'm talking back roads of Massachusetts. I mainly bought vegetables--they were just too appealing to pass up--but I also grabbed some fruits and a bag of trail mix, can't go wrong with that.

Well, I had a bag of brussels sprouts from cete trip and I wanted to use them in a fun recipe. Cue the online food blogs. My first search delivered quick and yummy results: Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Grilled Cheese from How Sweet It Is. Fun? Check. Easy? Check Delicious? Check Check. Enjoy!

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Grilled Cheese (adapted from How Sweet It Is)
Makes 4 sandwiches.
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 25 minutes.

• 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, stems removed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 4 teaspoons Earth Balance spread
• 8 slices whole wheat bread (I used Flying Pig)
• Balsamic vinegar or glaze
• 12 oz. monterrey jack cheese, sliced

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts and shallots and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat and cook until wilted and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Clean the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Spread 1/2 teaspoon Earth Balance on the outside of each piece of bread. Place a layer of cheese, top with brussels sprouts and pour about 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar; top with another layer of cheese and another piece of bread, buttered -side up. Repeat with remaining slices.
3. Grill sandwiches until golden and cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes on each side. If cheese wont fully melt and bread is starting to get crispy, cover with a pot cover for 1 minute.