Chocolate. ......and falling in Love.

MOLE [ˈmoh-leh] - 'sauce' or 'concoction' in Nahuatl language of the aztecs.

CHOCOLATE [chaw-kuh-lit]- Highly addicting deliciousness. 

LOVE [luhv]- ???

No words could ever define it.


Mole, a dish that is a culinary symbol of Mexico. 
A main characterizing ingredient, rich dark chocolate. or in the case of my mom's recipe specifically  'Abuelita's' chocolate.  Also used to make mexican hot chocolate...yum  : )

Anyway, I took my moms recipe and instead of using the traditional 'Abuelita's' chocolate I incorporated, all-natural, whole food ingredients.
better for you.
just as RICH.

Alternative: cocoa powder+ a touch of stevia.

So, What the hell does this have to do with falling in love???

Well, probably nothing, but I'm gonna make it work.
For  years, even though I am almost to the point of naivety quite the hopeful romantic, I've looked at relationships around me, and honestly don't see too many good ones (hardly any actually). Much less, great ones. Co-dependency, jelousy, slefishness, control, dishonesty, mistrust, and the list goes on (equate here to the food world with High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogynated oils, Artificial Sweeteners, Monosodium glutamate aka MSG, Sodium nitrite, Phosphoric Acid )
DAM. it might taste good, feel good in that moment, addicting even. crave it &  keep going back for more...but in the end these things are poisenous. Toxic.

blah blah blah. so many reasons to become a bitter, closed-off,  overly guarded, relationship/man-hater.

 i refuse to. i shall continue believing in love. and the best way to believe in it is to maintain high and strong its true ideals and values. Love should not only feel good it should be good for you. for your soul. your  entire being. should inspire. to grow. to evolve. mirror back your full potential. so many beautiful things.

its not that it doesn't exist.  but merely that we're human. and unfortunately we often hurt each other in the mess of it.  When i feel myself building up that wall, just a gentle reminder of this. & to cut myself and others some slack.  above all to be forgiving. be kind.

The day may come when another comes into our life, willing to put in the bit of extra effort & figure out how to switch out the abuelita's chocolate for some healthier alternatives, such as better communication etc.,  in order to have a relationship that is not only exotically delicious, but good for the both of you in every way.

Until then lets not do Love, or each other, a disservice by settling for anything any less beautiful.


(Not only in romantic relationships, but simply in the way we treat one another)

"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts"
 ~ Charles Dickens

Mami's Mole recipe

5 chiles anchos

5 chiles new mexico

3 galletas de sal

1 gajo de ajo

1/4 palito de canela

1/4 de chocolate (no se dora)

5 clavitos

5 pimientas

2 hojas de laurel

4 cacahuates

semillitas de ajonjoli (last)

jugo de 2 naranjas

agua

Instructions:

"los doras en aceite pero ten cuidado que no se te quemen por que se amargan, se tostan luego luego.....despues tostas unas tres cuadritos de galletas de sal, unos un ajo grande, (un cuarto de canela ( en palito).. un cuarto de chocolate) estos no se doran....pero sigues dorando..unos 5 clavitos, 5 pimientas...unas dos hojas de laurel..unos cuatro cacauates...y muy importante semillitas de ajonjoli..son las que tuestas al ultimo por que se consumen todo el aceite... bueno, pones todo esto en la licuadora...le pones el jugo de dos naranjas...le pones bien poquita agua nomas para que se muela....tiene que quedar algo espeso...lo mueles bien

dura mucho moliendolo para que quede bien molidito..lo pruevas de sal y de azucar por que tambien tiene que saver dulcecito...si no agarro mucho savor de dulce le puedes poner otro pedacito de chocolate y poquita azucar pero ten cuuidado no pasarte.. tambien de sal......ya que este bien molido... con este mole vas a enmolar la carne que vas a poner a concer solo le pones bien poquita agua por que va a soltar agua la carne , la carne la emolas y luego le pones otras dos hojas de perejil otros dos o tres clavos y pimienta y poquita sal...la dejas cociendo y ya esta.... el mole... pones aceite en una casuela y le pones el mole para guisarlo...cuidalo por que se pega bien facil y medio tapalo por que brinca...y ya esta listo ...ya se me antojo!!"

ENJOY

BRUNCH. Garlic Shrimp Omelette. Or Scramble.

". . . because eating breakfast, even if it's 5 o'clock in the afternoon, is a sign that the day has just begun and good things can still happen.”
- J. Goldstein

Oh Brunch (not to be confused with Breakfast), How I love thee. 

On a leisurely weekend or vacation day. Those few and far between mornings when you wake up with the soft caress of the morning sun, open your eyes at your own pace, and lay in bed for a while contemplating the wonders of the world. . . or what to have for breakfast (in this case a garlic shrimp scramble medley. yum.) 

As opposed to the mornings of being rudely woken by the screaming alarm clock,  having to drag yourself out of bed barely able to squint one eye open just enough to not run into the wall, throw on clothes decent enough for work or get out in time to make it to the gym before work. 

Those mornings where breakfast doesn't exist, but its rare and more beautiful form; Brunch. 

brunch/brənCH/

Noun:

A late morning meal eaten {enjoyed} instead of breakfast and lunch.

To have the time to conjure a delicious breakfast, cup of coffee/tea and truly enjoy a beautiful morning; either in peaceful solitude, or in the gracious company of family or friend(s). 

To have time to get ready, put on a cute sundress and meet up one of your closest friends for a fancy little egg scramble and fruit dish, surrounded by the wonderful aroma of fresh brewed coffee, pancake syrup, and the lively chit chatter of other lucky brunchers. 

sigh. good sigh. 

Few things are more awesome than those mornings. when things slow down enough to actually ENJOY.  Thankful to have had one of those mornings today. As I sat there with my mom and brother enjoying my a delicious shrimp omelette. 

I take in the moment.

I am blessed. 

Garlic Shrimp Omelette. or Scramble. 

-Shrimp sautéed in butter and/or olive oil+ lots of finely minced garlic+Salt to taste. 

(cut into bite size pieces once cooled) 

-1/4 chopped Onion

-1/2 chopped Roma Tomato

-Eggs (~ 2 per serving)

Directions: 

Sauté chopped onion and tomato in  butter or Olive oil until translucent or lightly caramelized. Add in pre-sauteed/chopped garlic Shrimp; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Omellete:

Beat eggs (whole or egg whites) until fluffy; pour half the beaten eggs into a greased, heated skillet. Spoon one portion of the shrimp mixture over half the omelet and fold. Turn and fry until golden brown on both sides. 


Scramble:
In heated skillet containing chopped onion, tomato &  garlic shrimp, add in eggs. . . scramble.

ENJOY  : )

BBQ Ribs (homemade all-natural bbq sauce ! )

"Cooking is a creation. As a creation, it is a personalized view of the way we like to express our feelings. It is how we share our sense of art, our knowledge, and our taste with other people. Food, after all, is not merely a product. It is necessary to our sustenance. Food is the support of life and is the center of the way we live when we take a moment to sit down and share life, share conversation, and share joy. That is the joy of cooking, which is a cliche, and yet is it the ultimate way we really fulfill ourselves and those around us. When people come to us and reach out to us, we must reach out with a very personalized and individual way of expressing our beliefs." Piero Selvaggio

Did you know. . . just 2 tbsp of the typical-store bought BBQ sauce contains more sugar than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!?! Holy shit! and you KNOW no one has just two tablespoons! 

Its important to know whats on your plate, and whats going in your mouth. Thats your body you're putting it into, and we only get one. I was going to attend a dinner/cooking party and wanted to bring a hearty, savory dish. Not only is it important what I feed myself, it also matters to me what I feed those I care about, and aim at maintaining the same high quality when sharing. This recipe was delicious, it could pass as a "regular", "non- healthy" BBQ dish. That good. It had people licking fingers, going back for seconds, BBQ sauce all over the face kinda good. (no joke). Highly recommend! Who says food thats nutritious, made with fresh, all-natural ingredients can't be finger licking good? 

They're wrong. 

BBQ Ribs

Ingredients (serves 2-4)
- 2 racks of ribs
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 8 whole cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 chipotle peppers – we used canned
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups of FRESH squeezed orange juice
- ~1-2 cups of beef broth

Directions:

1. ALERT! You need 3-4 hours for the braising, so make sure you’ve got time.  You can do it 1 or 2 days before then pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to grill.
2. To braise, pre-heat oven to 200. Yes, 200.
3. Prepare the rub by mixing together all of the spices.  Spread the rub over the ribs to create a light layer.
4. Put the ribs in a baking/casserole dish.  Pour the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, orange juice and garlic into the baking dish on top of the ribs.  Mix it around to combine the mixture.  You want the ribs to be slightly covered with liquid, so use the beef broth to make sure they are covered.  You’ll have to modify the amount you use based on the size of the baking dish and # of racks of ribs.
5. Cover tightly with foil and pop in the oven for 3-4 hours.  You want to take it out as soon as the meat starts to feel tender and come away from the bone.
6. Once it’s finished braising you can grill it right away or let it cool, pop it in the fridge and grill it another day.
7. Grill the ribs at medium-high heat for ~5 min per side.  Depending on whether you had them in the fridge or not will impact the cooking time.  Ours were in the fridge so it took 5 min per side with the bbq lid down.
8. While the ribs are BBQ’ing, pour the sauce into a saucepan and let it simmer and reduce.  Apply some extra sauce to the ribs before you serve.
9. Enjoy!

Recipe taken from cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com 
Image from delish.com