pão e queijo

Blessings in disguise (Vegetarian tortilla soup)

Guys, I forgot the cilantro.

 

 

Today has been a day full of lessons, blessings I have been praying for and received the answers today. 

I'm thankful, because life is deeper. 

Because I am me.  And I deserve, like everyone else, to be loved just for being me.  I don't have to be someone else.  I know what I want because I've been through a lot.  And it's a blessing. 

All tests are blessings, they help us get closer to God and to Jesus our savior. 

I'm thankful because I know who I am, and I love me for who I am.  Because every step takes me closer to the one, to God, to myself, to love. 

Sometimes things just don't work out, and it's better to not know why.  You'll know in the future when you look back and realize it was a blessing in disguise. 

 

Vegetarian tortilla soup
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves about 4 generously

Ingredients
1 TBSP vegetable oil
¾ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp chili powder (I used crushed red pepper flakes)
4 cups vegetable broth*
4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
(4) 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into ½-inch wide strips
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
⅔ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
⅔ cup chopped zucchini
1 ½ TBSP minced seeded jalapeño (I used canned, fresh is stronger)


In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder.  Add broth and 2 TBSP cilantro; bring to a boil.  Reduce  heat; cover and simmer about 15 minutes. 

Add tortillas, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and jalapeño to soup.  Cover and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with remaining 2 TBSP cilantro. 

*Note: You may substitute part of the veggie broth for a canned soup, such as condensed tomato soup or cheddar cheese soup to give the broth more flavor, like I did!

 

3 things I miss about the States (Spinach and tofu paneer)

 

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is What do you miss most about the states? 

 

 

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have related a long list of foods I missed.  Brugger's Bagels, Dunkin Donuts' bagels, toaster pastries, and the like.  Oh, and raspberries.  Very important.

As time goes by, I find myself not missing so many things, but at the same time missing more important ones.  I guess it all boils down to three important factors:

1.  Family and friends.  Although years have passed, there are people who are important and it's pretty much been clear all along who's with me on this long haul. 


3.  Safety.  Not having to lock your doors, not living watchfully, being able to walk around at night, the basic freedom of transit without fear. 


3.  Food.  Yes.  Food.  Especially Indian food.  We have one or two Indian restaurants here that are pretty overpriced and not amazing.  I've been once, and had a great time making fun of the Indian hiphop music videos that were playing on the LCD screens in this fancy place.   When I go to Indian restaurants in the States I love the buffets, the samosas, the vegetable dishes, the rice pudding and Galub Jamun (milk balls) for dessert.  But if I'm ordering off the menu I'll most likely get the palak paneer, a spinach puree dish with paneer cheese.  It's amazing, especially accompanied by naan bread.  This recipe comes pretty darn close. 

On a side note, sometimes it's good that you can't get all the food that you would be able to in the States.  It makes you a creative person, you learn how to make your own veggie stock, ricotta cheese, pie crusts, bagels, palak paneer and whatnot.


Spinach and tofu paneer
Adapted from Deborah Madison's This Can't be Tofu via Epicurious
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 carton firm tofu
Salt
1 large bunch spinach, stems discarded
1 ½ canned jalapeño chiles, seeded, washed and roughly chopped
1-inch knob ginger, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped or pressed
1 cup diced onion
2 TBSP vegetable oil (you may substitute butter or ghee)
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
½ cup whole milk (or half-and-half)
⅓ cup plain yogurt

Dice the tofu into pieces about the size of a sugar cube.  Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, add 1 tsp salt and lower the heat.  Add the tofu, turn off the heat and leave for 4-5 minutes.  Drain and set aside. 

Steam the spinach until wilted, then remove to a cutting board and chop.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess water (or be lazy like me, don't squeeze out the water and reduce the water to about ¾ cup in the next step).

Put the jalapeños, ginger, garlic and onion in your food processor and blend until finely chopped.  Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet, add the onion mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Add 1 tsp salt, cumin, nutmeg, pepper flakes, and 1 cup water (see above note).  Simmer for 5 minutes, then return the mixture to the food processor along with the spinach.  Puree.

Return the mixture to the skillet, add the milk and tofu; simmer for 5 more minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt.  Enjoy with basmati rice and a tall glass of water.

 

Losing your language (Mediterranean couscous and lentil salad)

 

Back when I went to American University (for a semester), I took an advanced translation course in spanish.  My professor was a gringo who had lived in Panama, and at the end of the semester, I told him I was going to study and live in Argentina (that was the plan back then). 

He told me something very curious… don't lose your language.  I laughed, it actually sounded kind of cool.

It's a slow and scary process.  You wake up one day and realize you think more in a foreign language than your own.  There are words in that foreign language that describe much better how you feel or think than a maternal tongue. 

I often find myself talking with my mom on the phone and trying to awkwardly translate a word from spanish to english because I have no idea how to express myself anymore.  When local friends ask me how to say something in english, it's embarrassing that I can't remember. 

I'm a cross-cultural mix of idioms, mainly spanish ones.  I dream in spanish.  I eat in spanish.  I process in spanish. 

I eat in mediterranean, Indian, Mexican too. 

Food is the best language of all. 

 

Mediterranean couscous and lentil salad
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves about 6 as a main dish salad

Ingredients
1 cup lentils, brown or green
3 TBSP white-wine vinegar
1 ¼ cups water
1 cup couscous (quick-cooking, medium grain)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed and mashed to a paste with ¼ tsp salt
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ lb feta, crumbled

Add lentils to a small saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water.  Simmer until tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes.  Drain well and transfer to a bowl.  Stir in 1 TBSP vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally.

In another small saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add couscous and salt.  Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Stir in 1 TBSP olive oil and let cool completely, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl make the dressing by whisking together the garlic paste, remaining 2 TBSP of vinegar, remaining 3 TBSP olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  When the couscous and lentils are cooled to room temperature, stir lentils into couscous along with the dressing.  Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours.  Just before serving, stir in the chopped mint, cherry tomatoes, and crumbled feta.  Enjoy cold.