​Here, I am recommending you two options for this type of salad. Salad # 1 is the grapes, onion, tzatziki and avocado oil, over a spinach bed. Salad #2 is a similar combination, however, I added orange cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Both are delicious.
 
Category:  Side
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   10 to 15 Minutes
Approximate Cost:   Salad #1: $3.83 and Salad #2: $3.98)
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   __X__   Vegetarian __X__
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients for salad #1: $3.83
½ small red cabbage, outer leaves removed and shredded in a food processor (.98)
2 c. Spinach ($1.20)
½ c. purple grapes, sliced (.50)
¼ of a small purple onion, sliced (.15)
2 tbsp. Avocado oil (1.00)
 
Ingredients for salad #2: $3.98
½ small red cabbage, outer leaves removed and shredded in a food processor (.98)
½ c. orange cherry tomatoes, sliced (.75)
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar or to taste (remember the rule, 1 tsp. of vinegar + 2 tsp. oil (.50)
1 tbsp. tzatziki sauce (or to taste) (.10)
½ c. purple grapes, sliced (.50)
¼ of a small purple onion, sliced (.15)
2 tbsp. Avocado oil (1.00)
 
Directions
Decide which salad you are making and then prep. all the ingredients listed under the ingredients list.
Mix the ingredients well in a bowl until incorporated, then remove and place in a serving bowl.
Refrigerate until dinner or lunch time. Boom.

Your life is easier when you prep your meal ingredients ahead of time! The cabbage renders for a lot of combinations; like, slaw, or cabbage with tomatoes and onions, with mixed green, etc. As long as you keep these veggies dry and sealed in the fridge, they will last you the whole week. You can serve them raw or cooked.
 
Category:  Sides
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   20 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $3.85 or .64 cents per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   √   Vegetarian √   
Servings: 6+
 
Ingredients
 4 rainbow carrots, (peeled and processed in a food processor ($1.75)
1 med size red cabbage, (outer leaves discarded, cut in small pieces, processed in a food processor) (.80)
1 Chinese eggplant, (rinsed, pat dry, cut lengthwise, sprinkle with salt until sweat, then rinsed again. (PREP JUST WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO COOK IT.) ($1.30)
 
Directions
 Follow the directions given in the aforementioned Ingredients.
Prep the eggplant only if you plan to cook it the same day of preparation.
 
TOMORROW: MY PURPLE TZATZIKI SALAD

Yes, a nice meal to enjoy on any given day. The beef was fine, just a bit of salt and pepper but the roasted garlic was even better. The cauliflower rice? Well, it was cooked with hydrated shitake mushrooms in a Sazón and Roasted Garlic and Herbs broth with basting oil. I rest my case.
 
Category:  Entrée
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   40 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $22.59 or $11.30 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Intermediate  
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 filet mignon cut ($15.50)
1 tbsp. salt and pepper mixed (0)
2 ½ tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (1/2 of this is for the cauliflower rice) (.50)
10 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced (.70)
2 ½ c. cauliflower rice ($2.49)
5 chopped shitake mushrooms (.90)
½ Sazón envelope (.25)
1 tbsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs (.10)
½ lb. thin asparagus (rinsed and blanched in hot water until they turn bright green) ($1.75)
 
Directions
Pat dry the filet and season with 1 tbsp. of basting oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.
Blanch the asparagus as I mentioned under the ingredients.
 
(Use the processed cauliflower rice in the fridge that you made this week.)
To cook the cauliflower rice in a saucepan, just hydrate the shitake mushrooms in ½ c. water with the Sazón, Roasted Garlic and Herbs and ½ tbsp. of basting oil. Then add the cauli rice to that broth and stir until the cauliflower becomes tender. (Maybe under 5 minutes.)
Next, in a skillet, roast the sliced garlic until golden brown. Remove from skillet, set aside.
Finally, pan roast the filet stakes until golden brown, allow them to rest for few minutes, then plate your meal.
 
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oi

We all know and can agree that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. It’s our time to celebrate our family reunions, decorate our homes according to the holiday, invite people over, go to a ton of parties and finally, eat a lot to regret it early during the new year. Because of COVID-19, we may not go to as many parties as we did in prior years, still, it is always wise to plan accordingly and stay safe.

However, don’t fret, there is always a way to do it all and be safe, smile.
Let’s just sail together through these season’s yummy temptations so that we can enjoy them and don’t feel guilty or regret them.
 

1. If you are invited to a party that you must go, make sure that you work out a bit longer at the gym, at home or walk few more steps and most important, eat very moderately to compensate for the yummy stuff that you will eat.
2. Never ever arrive at a party in an empty stomach. Why, because you will lose control over what you should be eating and how much of it. Simply eat a small salad or veggies before leaving home, so that you will not be starving and fail to temptations.
3. Once at the party, assess what you will eat to feel proud once you are gone. Yes, you can eat a lot of good finger foods, etc. Just remember portion control, is it deep fried? Does it have tons of fat? Is there a mayo dip, and so on. My Slogan: Control Yourself.
4. Don’t stand by the buffet table talking, because before you know it, you will be over eating. Therefore, stay far away from it.
5. Also important, the drinks, the wine, sodas, etc., although tempting, they are all poor choices if you do not control how often are you refilling them. A glass of wine is fine but the more you drink, the easier is to forget your “moderation” goal. Smile.
6. Finally, don’t feel bad to say no thanks to some of the foods or drinks offered to you. You can say it politely, or just keep that glass of wine longer in your hand before a refill or just say, oh, I am good thanks, look delicious though.

​These are my 2 cents of ideas to stay in shape during this glorious season. I am already increasing my daily walks to play it safe, just in case. Remember that we can do anything that we want and enjoy every minute of it if we do it in moderation.
Let’s get these parties and celebrations rolling, yippee.

Friends, this cold weather is perfect for stews. Comforting foods are the best, no need to spend a fortune on ingredients, super yummy and highly nutritious. If you want, you could add a salad and a slice of toasted garlic bread. Who will turn down this bowl? Nobody, smile.
 
Category:  Entrée
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $6.86 or $2.39 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 3+
 
Ingredients
½ lb. Ground turkey 99% lean, @ Trader Joe’s ($2.49)
1 15oz. can of Roman Beans, drained, rinsed, drained again ($1.22)
1 ½ c. of green plantain pieces * (.75)
½ tsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.15)
1 ½ tsp. Angie’s basting oil (.40)
1 tbsp. Curry Powder (.10)
1 tbsp. dry onions (.35)
1 Sazón envelope (.25)
2 large garlic cloves, chopped (.20)
1 frozen sofrito cube (.25)
1 ½ c. fresh chicken stock (.80)
 
Directions

• Season the turkey with ½ tsp. of my dry seasoning and 1 tsp. basting oil and chopped garlic.
• Add ½ tsp. of basting oil to the saucepan and sauté briefly, (the meat will still look a bit pink, don’t worry, it will cook completely later).
• Add the rest of the ingredients, beans, broth, dry onions, Sazón, Sofrito.
• Note: The chicken stock should cover the beans and turkey. It should be soupy, since you will be adding the plantain chips to thicken the sauce later.
• Cook in medium low for about 5 minutes.
• Add the frozen plantain chips. If you need more chicken stock, add it now and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the broth thickens just a bit.
• Serve with avocado and chopped scallions.
• If you have leftover rice, warm it up and use as a side for the stew. However, totally optional, since the beans stew bowl is more than enough, smile…)

Done!

*You can find GOYA FROZEN green plantain pieces at Walmart, Wegman’s and some Asian grocery stores.
 
Angie’s Dry Seasonings: http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

Since I am a mother of identical twins, I can talk a bit about this topic, smile. This dish came to my mind the other day while I was planning a seafood dinner with salmon. I remember that I had cod as well and decided to cook both, why not? So, I told my husband jokingly that I was making fraternal twins for dinner. That’s how the title of this post was born. Smile.
 
Category:  Entrée
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   35 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $8.60 or $4.30 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
2 Salmon filets, clean pat dry and cut in 3 ½ rectangular thin pieces ($2.50)
2 Cod filets, clean pat dry and cut in 3 ½ rectangular thin pieces ($2.50)
1 tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs (.15)
2 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil for seasoning the seafood (.40)
½ box of Gluten Free Cauliflower spaghetti ($1.35)
2 ½ tbsp. Pesto (Link for my recipe is at the end of this post but you can use purchased (.90)
Fresh chives and flat leave parsley (.30)
1 lemon (.50)
 
Directions
Prep both fish, salmon and cod, season with Roasted garlic and herbs, basting olive oil and refrigerate.
Prepare the pasta according to the package, it cooks fast. Slice the lemon, set aside.
Sear the fish rectangles, meantime, drain the pasta, add the pesto and stir to combine.
Plate and garnish accordingly and Bon Appetite.
 
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil
Angie’s Homemade Pesto   http://www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/angies-homemade-basil-pesto-sauce

Is not every day that you get to enjoy the aforementioned combination of ingredients, and on top of that, that each ingredient alone, is super healthy.  So, it is a win, win situation!
 
Category:  Entrée
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:    30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $8.90 or $4.45 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   
Servings:2+
 
Ingredients for the ground turkey
½ lb. 99% fat free ground turkey (I purchase mine at LIDL) ($2.75)
1 tbsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning (.15)
1 tbsp. Angie’s Basting Olive Oil (.40)
3 thyme twigs (.15)
1 med. size shallot, chopped (.50)
 
Ingredients for the Quinoa
1 c. Quinoa ($1.00)
2 c. beef broth or stock ($1.25)
1 tsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning (.15)
1 tsp. Angie’s Basting Olive Oil (.40)
1 large frozen sofrito disc (.25)
4 large Shitake dry mushrooms cut in 4 pieces (.25)
 
1 avocado ($1.25)
1 large Poblano pepper, charred, peeled, seeded and chopped (.40)
 
Directions

• Season the ground turkey with 1 tbsp. Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning, 1 tbsp. Angie’s Basting Olive Oil and add the thyme leaves. Refrigerate.
• Char the poblanos, put them in a paper bag to sweat, peel all the char stuff, slice and remove all seeds, then chop it.
• Add to a saucepan the beef stock, quinoa, beef broth or stock, Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning, my basting olive oil, the frozen sofrito disc and the Shitake dry mushrooms cut in 4 pieces. Bring to a boil, stir to combine all ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meantime in a skillet with 1 tsp. of my basting olive oil, sauté the shallot until golden.
• Add the ground turkey and cook until totally done. Then on the same skillet, warm the poblanos and then chop them.
• Slice the avocado in half, peel and stuff it with the ground turkey. By now your quinoa is done, so you are ready to plate.

 
 
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

What a sweet surprise. My doorbell rang, I opened it and there he was; my sweet 8-year old, (I think) neighbor Jake, with these beautiful pumpkin cupcakes in hand, a big smile on his face and telling me that the cupcakes were for me and that he baked them. Oh Lord, I almost melted at that moment. He is so cute and smart.

His parents are doing an amazing job raising him and his brothers. You can tell, Jake is so respectful, well mannered, he listens to you so well and pays attention to everything you said. His ability to communicate effectively with an adult is priceless and he waves at me every time. Priceless!

God Bless You Jake. Thanks for the delicious cupcakes. I Love You Tons.   

The simple meals are the best. They take few ingredients and almost no time to make. Today, I opted for my charred filet with smothered onions. Then, in the same water that I cooked the corn, I blanched the broccoli. Finally, I made a peach, spring-mixed salad. Done!
 
Category:  Entrée
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $19.45 or $9.75 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free  
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients for the filets
2 filet mignon, cleaned, pat dry and seasoned with salt and pepper to-taste ($14.50)
2 tbsp. my basting olive oil (.50)
 
2 fresh corn ($1.00)
2 c. broccoli, steamed ($1.50)
 
Ingredients for the peach salad
1 peach, rinsed, pat dry and sliced (.50)
2 c. mesclum or mixed salad greens ($1.00)
¼ red onion, sliced (.10)
1 tbsp. my basting olive oil (.25)
½ tbsp. apple cider vinegar (.10)
 
Directions
Prep the filet as I indicate under “ingredients”, and add the basting oil, refrigerate.
Prepare the salad and the dressing, refrigerate.
Prepare the corn on the cobb, boil until tender about 5 to 7 minutes, steam the broccoli at the end.
Sear the filet on their own basting oil, allow to rest for few minutes, then plate your meal!
 
Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil

You learn new things almost every day. However, when you learn something from your own children, it’s simply priceless. Well, I was visiting my son, his adorable wife and loving children and at dinner he asked us to try his hot sauce. My husband was sold from the get go, I was sold shortly after for just one reason, it was real hot! However, the flavor was amazing and of course, super healthy.
 
So, I came home and followed my baby’s instructions and BOOM, we have PIQUE (fresh homemade hot sauce) at home. I also added a couple of extra ingredients for my taste, smile.
 
Category:  Homemade Hot Sauce
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost: $2.65 - Where can you purchase hot sauce @ this price? @ Home
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   __√__   Vegetarian __√__ 
Servings: over 20
 
INGREDIENTS
½ c. dried Chili Árbol, tops off, slice in half, seed removed and discard (.75)
2 c. water
1 small tomato, chopped (.25)
½ onion, chopped (Mama used a Shallot) (.50)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped (.15)
1 tsp. Paprika (.10
½ c. chopped cilantro (.20)
¼ c. chopped basil (Mama added this) (.20)
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (Mama added this) (.15)
1 tbsp. Angie’s Basting olive oil (or olive oil) .35
Salt to taste (optional) (Neither one of us added any salt and it is not missing at all)
 
DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the Chile tops, slice in half and remove the seeds. (you can use less for a mild sauce)
2. Place in a saucepan, add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil. Remove from stove immediately and allow to soak in the water for 30 minutes. Then remove and do not discard the water.
3.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic and tomato until golden brown.
4. Reduce the heat and add the chili peppers, apple cider vinegar, paprika, chopped cilantro, basil and let simmer for a couple of minutes.
5. Allow to cool down a bit and then pour everything into a blender and blend until desired texture; smooth or chunky. (you can also strain it in a sieve if you prefer)
6. When the hot sauce is cool completely, pour it into a clean glass bottle with lid and store in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 weeks, (if it last that long, smile)

 
My Link: Angie’s Basting Olive Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil