Meat Free-A Tortillas!

Greetings food lovers!

As I continue my journey of eliminating meat from my diet, increasing my vegetable intake, and introducing alternatives into my diet, I have created a new must-have dish that everyone will enjoy!

My Meat Free-a Tortillas are easily adaptable for the non vegetarian however I think once you try this dish you will find you don't need meat for a fulfilling meal!

I initially made this dish as I was having a strong craving for food similar to what I ate on my trip to El Salvador (check out my next entry for a look at a few dishes I enjoyed on my journeys). The cuisine in El Salvador incorporates lots of beans, tomatoes, and queso blanco or queso fresco. Enjoy the following recipe and I hope it triggers a desire to visit Latin America as much as it triggers your taste buds!

Ingredients
Queso blanco or Queso Fresco
Refried beans
Pico de Gallo (I used my Salsa de Nuno which you can find here)
Corn tortillas
Sour Cream
Lots of lime!

1. Take a corn tortilla and wrap it in a moist towel then microwave for a few seconds to soften (I wish I had another way of doing this!)

2. Heat the refried beans on the stove and stir until softened - usually you will see them boil a bit in case you cannot tell if they are ready

3. Place the refried beans on the tortilla and smear to cover as if making a pizza

4. Add the sour cream on top of the refried beans in the center, this will aid in holding the salsa in and is a great combination of hot and cold on top of the beans!

5. Place a small spoonful of the Salsa de Nuno on the layer of sour cream. I suggest using a straining spoon as I find the salsa will begin to run due to the lime and make for a very messy but fun meal!

6. Sprinkle the queso blanco on top

Espero que disfrute su comida!

Food of all Sorts for Watching Sports

Superbowl Sunday was a busy day for grocery stores and cooks alike. With plans of attending a friend's Superbowl party, an empty fridge, and just 2 hours to get to the store, get cooking, and get out the door, I knew exactly what I needed to do to make sure I brought delicious but two easily prepared snacks for the party - Salsa de Nuno and Party Pinwheels. I must say the salsa was a bigger hit than usual and the pinwheels flew off the plate so today I will share these quick and easy recipes with all of you.



Salsa de Nuno
The name of this dish is derived from the 9 ingredients used to make it and "Nuno" being the root of my last name which in Portugese means nine.

Ingredients
Three cloves of garlic
1/2 a large sweet onion
1 green pepper
1 serrano pepper
1 habanero pepper
8 roma tomatoes
1 cup of cilantro
2 limes
1 tsp. sugar

1. Dice the first 7 ingredients and mix in a bowl

The colors of the ingredients are so beautiful!

2. Squeeze the two limes over the salsa and add a pinch of sugar. Stir, cover, and refrigerate - after bout 30 minutes the salsa will have absorbed the lime and be delicious!

Optional: Additional sugar to sweeten the salsa as well as salt can be used to fine tune the flavor. Another option is using cilantro paste to make a "creamier" salsa.

Party Pinwheels
These pinwheels are perfect for any party - only some assembly is required!

Ingredients
Deli Salami
Deli Pepperoni
Large tortillas
Whipped cream cheese
Romano cheese
Pesto
Pizza Sauce
Crushed Red Pepper

Pepperoni Pinwheels
1. Lay out the tortilla and spread whipped cream cheese as a base
2. Spread pizza sauce over the cream cheese and sprinkle crushed red pepper on top

3. Place pieces of pepperoni across the tortilla - leave the edges clear as you will most likely have to discard edges of the wrap. I used large sandwich size deli meat so I placed 3 across the tortilla
4. Tightly roll the tortilla, starting at the furthest end and tucking it under until completely rolled.
5. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and let sit for at least 10 minutes
6. Unwrap the saran wrap and with the seam facing up, cut 1/2 inch pinwheels.

Salami Pinwheels
1. Lay out the tortilla and spread whipped cream cheese as a base.
2. Spread pesto over the cream cheese and sprinkle romano cheese on top
3. Place salami across the tortilla
4. Tightly roll the tortilla, starting at the furthest end and tucking it underl until completely rolled.
5. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
6. Unwrap the saran wrap and with the seam facing up, cut 1/2 inch pinwheels.

Feel free to try different ingredients and make these your own!