Odeliza Jacoba Recipes

Mahalo Chicos,

This recipe was handed down to me by my mother. I like to use it as a dipping sauce for deep fried things like vegetarian lumpia, vegetable tempura, and so much more.

Serves: About 1 cup

Cook time: Less than five minutes

What you’ll need:

1. 1/4 c vinegar

2. 1/4 c white granulated sugar

3. 1/4 c water

4. 2 t cornstarch

5. 1 T water

6. 1 T cooking oil

2 T tomato catsup of any kind

What to do:

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, water and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.

2. On low heat, heat the cooking fry the tomato catsup.

3. Add the vinegar mixture and boil until thick. You can add a few drops of red food coloring to achieve that Chinese red.

Enjoy.

Ciao,

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza

Mahalo Chicos,

Here is another family recipe that I like to use when creating my own home made egg rolls or ‘lumpia’ would call it.

Hope you enjoy…

Serves: Up to 4 thin wrappers

Prep time: Less than five minutes

Cook time: Less than one minute each wrapper

What you’ll need:

1. Small flat cooking pan

2. 2 large brown eggs

3. 1/2 c cornstarch dispersed in same amount of water

4. Three bowls

5. Cooking oil

What to do:

1. Separate the whites from the yellows.

2. Beat the whites until frothy.

3. Fold yellows in with the whites.

4. Fold in already dispersed cornstarch.

5. Heat small pan with cooking oil ensuring that the oil is dispersed thoroughly.

6. Spoon about 2 T of mixture, tilting the pan to ensure that it is cooked evenly-I have a small circle cooking pan that helps for this purpose-.

7. When it is thoroughly cooked gently lift off wrapper from pan and cover with semi wet kitchen towel to prevent from dry. I like to make these a day ahead of time before I start with the actual ‘lumpia’.

Enjoy.

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza  

Mahalo Chicos,

I just found out that I get so much better Internet reception in my living room than I do in my office so my trusty and old computer does not bug out on me-so far-. My spicy island dressing is a must if you want to create the perfect island style salad and cold noodles.

Serves: 2 cups

Prep time: Less than ten minutes

Cook time: NONE

What you’ll need:

1. A mixing bowl that can be refrigerated

2. 1/2 c real honey

3. 1 c grape seed oil

4. 1/4 c dark sesame oil

5. 1 c white sesame seeds

6. 1/2 c dried red chili pepper flakes

7. 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce

8. 1/4 c dark brown sugar

What to do:

1. Mix everything in your mixing bowl set in the fridge covered with film and allow to sit a day ahead so that the flavors absorb more.

2. On the day of serving wait until the final preparation to dress your dish.

Enjoy.

Ciao,

Odeliza Jacoba

Mahalo Chicos,

The blue cheese in Uruguay is delicious, for those that live in Uruguay you would appreciate the complement as most cheese offered goods are bland and boring here.

Anways,  I like to prepare a simple blue cheese dressing for most of my term of a ‘California Salad’.

You could also use this dressing for other dishes, for instance, risottos, fondues, and so much more.

Serves: Up to two plates

Prep time: Less than 5 minutes

Cook time: None

What you’ll need:

1. A blender, I have a small one just for these purposes so if you are thinking of making other homemade dressing I suggest to purchase one.

2. 1/4 c real blue cheese

3. 1 T Lemon Vinegar

4. Salt and pepper to taste

5. 1 c extra virgin olive oil

What to do:

1. Blend everything listed above in your small or large blender. Ensuring that the dressing is creamy yet slightly liquid.

2. Place in a container until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza

Mahalo Chicos,

My bakes sweet potato is not only great for your health, but also delicious and can be made a day or two ahead of time.

I like to prepare larger batches because some days I don’t really want to cook. Everyone has those days where an avid cook or even a professional chef such as myself would like a break from the kitchen duties.

So I experiment with dishes that will come out just a fresh as if I created it that very same day. This is one of them.

Prep time: No less than 5 minutes

Cook time: About 25 minutes

Serves: 4 people

What you’ll need:

1. A large baking dish well oiled

2. 3 large sweet potatoes, thoroughly cleaned, and cut any shape that is convenient for you.

3. 2 fresh rosemary sprigs

5. Fresh oregano

6. Two shallots of normal size, already julienned

7. Garlic powder

8. Freshly ground salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Prep the oven for about 200 c

2. Clean the potatoes, ensuring that you scrub well, since we will be using the skins for added nutrients and color.

3. In a bowl, mix the already cubed and cleaned potatoes, add some oil: grape seed or non flavor oil, add the rosemary sprigs, oregano, shallots, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix well and tip onto the baking dish.

4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly tender. Allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to a few days.

5. Then when ready to serve the potatoes in a microwave safe dish and set until the potatoes and soft.

Enjoy.

Ciao,

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza

Mahalo Chicos,

Seitan ‘the other white meat’, is something that I use often in replace of recipes that call for meat. Unlike my friends in the North, my seitan is not pre-made for me and does not resemble any sort of ‘meat’ replacement. The seitan that is available in Uruguay is the gluten flour only. Granted there are some seitan products-very little- out there in the local Supermercados. But as I’ve posted it in previously, it tastes, well, one must require an acquired taste to the Uruguayan seitan products. Or one must have missed out on the potential flavors of seitan its self. Therefore enjoying the flavors offered here. Enough said

I like to use my seitan recipe for so many different flavors from around the globe that even my carnivore friends don’t notice there is a slight difference. I enjoy deep frying the seitan and making it into ‘crispy chicken’, also I use said recipe and create ‘BBQ’ Seitan sandwiches.

Like I said, can’t go wrong if you do it right the first time:

Serves: Up to 12 cuts

Prep Time: Less than five minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

What you’ll need:

1. 1 c gluten flour

2. 1 c white rice flour

3. 1 1/4 c plain cold water

4. Large mixing bowl

5. 8 c of already made vegetable broth

6. A dash of plain grape-seed or non-flavor oil

What to do:

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot.

2. Assemble the seitan by pouring the white rice flour and gluten flour in a large mixing bowl.

3. Make sure it is sifted well.

4. Pour the cold water and start to assemble into a ball.

5. Take out and assemble into a tube like shape, cut into 2 inches thick pieces, and place in the already warm vegetable broth.

6. Cook for 2 hours, checking ever so often to ensure that the seitan does not stick to one another add a dash of oil.

7. Allow to dry and there you have your first step to a really potentially great dish. Stay tuned for the ‘Chicken Fried Seitan’ recipe.

Ciao,

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza