BAKED CHEESY MANCHEGO ZUCCHINI BITES

I love zucchini and usually I put them in everything, salads, soup, burritos, sandwich. It's clearly quite a versatile ingredient and also is a healthy one to have always in your fridge.
Most of the times I look for organic ones and before cooking I wash very well the peel of the zucchini and leave the peel for adding more fiber and vitamins to my food.
These cheesy zucchini bites are  healthier than zucchini fritter without sacrificing any flavor.
***It's very important to  squeeze out the excess water of the zucchini to get a very crispy zucchini bites.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup zucchini shredded
• 1egg beaten
• 1/2 cup manchego cheese and parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon basil
• salt to taste
• black ground pepper

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle the shredded zucchini with a pinch of salt, and place in a paper towel to wring out all the excess of water. 
3. Place in a large bowl the zucchini and add the egg, manchego and parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Mix until well combined.
5. Drop the mixture by tablespoofuls on the baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle some parmesan and manchego cheese on top of each one.
7. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes until golden.
8. Enjoy hot or cold, both are delicious.

MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH IBERICO HAM

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms, because of the taste and their health benefits. They are a good source of protein as well as antioxidants such as selenium, and vitamins as vitamin B12.

They are also cholesterol free and very low in fat, so it's a good point in you are on a diet or worried about your weight.

If you choose  white mushrooms for your recipe,  they are also a good source of  vitamin D.

It's very important that you cook mushrooms throroughly, in order to breakdown small amounts of natural toxins that they can have and their taste is better after cooking.

You can enjoy this recipe as an appetizer or as a side for a main dish, it's very easy to prepare and also you don't need too much ingredients to make it.

Serves 4

• 8 white mushrooms(brushed and clean)
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 garlic clove finely chopped
• 3 iberico ham slices finely chopped
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 50 ml tablespoon white wine
• salt to taste 
• black ground pepper

ELABORATION

1. Remove stems from mushrooms, and dice the stems. Set mushrooms caps aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat and add garlic and parsley and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add iberico ham and mushrooms steam, saute for some minutes and add white wine.
4. Add salt and black pepper and cook until there is no more liquid.
5. Set aside and reserve.
6. Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms cups for both sides.
7. Add salt and  ground black pepper to taste.
8. Stuff  mushrooms caps with the iberico garlic ham mixture.
9. Serve hot.
10. Enjoy!!!

ROASTED TOMATOES AND IBERICO HAM GARLIC TOAST

This recipe is so simple but full of flavor and I love how my kitchen smells so good  when I am cooking tomatoes and garlic in the oven.
When tomatoes are cooked in a healthy fat like olive oil, it increases the absorption of the lycopene.
The tomato is the primary food source of lycopene, a naturally red pigment linked to prevent numerous diseases.
Tomatoes also contain significant amounts of vitamin E, fiber, potassium and folate.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as the perfect appetizer in a family or friend gathering.

For this recipe we will need:

INGREDIENTS

4 toast:

• 4 tomatoes
• 4 head garlic
• 8 iberico ham slices
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• thyme
• oregano
•  pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.Meanwhile, hull the steams from your tomatoes and slice a shallow "X" in the bottom.
2. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and watch for their skins to start to wrinkle and split, for about 1 minute, and scoop them out with a spoon and transfer them to a bowl with cold water.
3. Once cooled, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board, and use your fingers or a knife to peel back the tomato skins.
4. Slice the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds and cut them in small pieces
5. Preheat the oven at 300F and put the diced tomatoes, the garlic heads(no peeled), olive oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, thyme and oregano in a baking bowl.
6. Roast for about 1 hour.
7. Toast the bread in a toaster or in the grill.
8. Spread the garlic over the toast(the garlic is soft after roasting).
9. Spread the tomato jam.
10. Top with some slices of iberico ham.
11. Enjoy your delicious toast!!!

IBERICO HAM CROQUETTES

Croquetas in Spain are typical "tapas" dishes, usually filled with ham, chicken, fish like cod, but nowadays, many restaurants are offering different versions of croquettes with other fillings as ingredients like boletus(mushrooms) or different cheeses(brie, parmesan…) or even shrimps.
Croquette has the origin in France , but many countries in the world have their varieties and ways to prepare, like Germany, where the main ingredient is potato.
Croquetas, is a small fried roll , delicious inside because of the béchamel and the fillings and crunchy outside.
We can enjoy croquetas any time of the day like an appetizer , a side dish or even as a tapa.

To prepare iberico ham croquetas we will need:

 INGREDIENTS

• 1onion
• 1/2 pound iberico ham chopped
• 4 oz.butter
• 14 oz. iberico ham broth
• 20 oz. milk
• 1 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• olive oil(for deep frying)
• eggs(to cover)
• bread crumbs(to cover)

PREPARATION

Fist we will prepare bechamel:

1. Heat  butter in a saucepan and sauté  onion finely chopped and  iberico ham for about 5 minutes at low-medium temperature
2. Meanwhile, heat milk and  iberico ham broth to warm both liquids(we need these two liquids warm to make the béchamel)
3. Add  flour to the saucepan with  onion and iberico ham and stir everything with a wood spoon until the flour is well mixed 
4. Add  both warm liquids(milk and ham broth) , little by little,  to the saucepan, stirring constantly.
5. Stir for about 10 minutes in a medium-low temperature ( we can't stop stirring during these 10 minutes)
6. Add pinch of salt (usually it doesn't need too much because of ham broth) and pinch of nutmeg
7. Poured  béchamel into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until next day in the fridge

Second we will shape croquette mixture:

1. Beat 2 or 3 eggs in a bowl and put bread crumbs in another bowl
2. Roll  mixture croquettes into oval shape( you can use an ice cream scoop)
3. Roll  croquette into bread crumbs, dip into eggs and again into breadcrumbs to coat well
4. Transfer to a parchment paper baking sheet and repeat with remaining croquette mixture
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry croquettes in batches until golden brown
6. Transfer to a paper towel to drain the excess of oil
7. Serve hot and enjoy!!!

CARAMELIZED ONION, BRIE AND IBERICO HAM

Iberico ham is a jewel in the spanish gastronomy, and now we know that is a nutritional food that we can enjoy without any guilty.
The nutritional facts in the iberico ham are:

• Proteins(33g protein in 100g of iberico ham)
• Vitamins, especially Vit B,Vitamin D and Vitamin E
• Minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc
• Oleic fatty acid( only the olive oil has a higher content):positive effect on cholesterol in the bloodstream(improving HDL and reducing LDL)

We can include the iberico ham in our diet, even if we are worried about our weight, 100g of iberico ham are less than 250 kcalories and it's a good alternative to red meat.

For this easy recipe we only will need 3 main ingredients: onion, brie cheese and iberico ham.

Today we will learn how to caramelized the onion without using any sugar(this is a good one!!!).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 onion
• brie cheese
• iberico ham
• bread toast
• olive oil 
• 2 tablespoon of water

PREPARATION

1. Cut the onions in julienne and heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan.Add the onions to the saucepan and cook at medium temperature, stir the onion with the oil and reduce heat, stir the onion constantly.
2. We will cook the onion for about 30 minutes at low heat.Gently the onion will turn brown, because of the sugar in the onion.
3. Now it's time to add 2 tablespoon of water to the onion and stir evenly until we get the brown color in all the onion.
4. Toast our bread in a toaster or grill in the oven with a touch of butter.
5. We will spread the brie cheese in the hot toast, then the caramelized onion and the iberico ham on the top.
6. You can finish the appetizer with a touch of balsamic glaze.
7. Enjoy!!!

GUACAMOLE

Guacamole is a popular sauce of Mexico and was created by Aztecs.It is based on an avocado sauce, which we can incorporate other ingredients.
Today I choose this sauce because I would like to talk about the avocado, how complete is nutritionally speaking  and how often we don't eat it because we have heard that is "very fattening".
Avocado is almost a vegetable butter, rich in Vitamin E, which helps to delay the aging process and is a good antioxidant.
The fruit of the avocado contains also vitamins A,C,D,,K and vitamin B.
Avocados are a extraordinary source of vegetable protein and essential fatty-acids source.
The fatty acids Omega-3 has several properties as:

1. Highly recommended to keep our cholesterol at optimal levels
2. Helps the bad cholesterol(LDL) does not accumulate in the arteries and veins
3. And also helps to raise the good cholesterol(HDL) 

Avocados contains a natural pigment lutein, that protects againts cataracts and help with macular degeneration, which is the main cause of blindness in elderlies.

And after this explanation, I will describe you  the recipe , that is very easy to prepare and you can use it as a appetizer with some toast or nacho

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 red onion
• 1 tomato peeled
• 1 lime juice or lemon juice
• 2 ripe avocados
• pinch of salt

PREPARATION

1. Peel the onion, wash tomato and peel it.
2. Chop onion very fine.
3. Dice the tomatoes.
4. Wash the lime and halve it, remove the seeds and squeeze the juice.
5. Halve the avocados, remove the bone and with a spoon , we took the meat off and put in in the bowl with the lime juice.
6. Add salt to the avocado and lime juice and mash it well with a fork.
7. Stir the onion, and tomatoes onto the avocado mixture.
8. Mix all ingredients well.

GUACAMOLE

El guacamole es una salsa propia de Mexico y que fue creada por los aztecas.Se basa en una salsa de aguacate, a la que posteriormente se le agregan otros ingredientes.
Hoy he escogido esta salsa porque me gustaria  hablar de el aguacate, que tan bueno es nutricionalmente hablando y que muchas veces dejamos de comerlo porque hemos oido que "engorda mucho".
El aguacate, es casi una mantequilla vegetal, muy rico en Vitamina E, la cual nos ayuda a retrasar los procesos de envejecimiento.
Los aguacates son una fuente extraordinaria de proteina de origen vegetal y fuente de ácidos grasos esenciales,
Entre sus virtudes  podemos enumerar el aporte de :

-Acidos grasos esenciales Omega 3:Muy recomendables para mantener en optimos niveles nuestro colesterol, ayuda a que el colesterol malo(LDL) no se acumule en las arterias y venas, y ademas nos ayuda a elevar los niveles de colesterol bueno(HDL).

-Vitaminas:El fruto de el aguacate contiene vitaminas A,C,D,E,K y vitaminas del grupo B.Debido a su  alto contenido en Vitamina E, actua como antioxidante.

-Luteina:Contiene este pigmento natural que protege contra las cataratas y ayuda contra la degeneracion macular, que es la principal causa de ceguera en las personas mayores.

Y dicho esto os paso a describir la receta que es sencillisima de preparar y es un aperitivo que siempre apetece acompañado de unos nachos, por ejemplo.

INGREDIENTES

• 1/4 de cebolla morada
• 1 tomate sin piel
• jugo de 1 lima o limon
• 2 aguacates 
• pizca de sal

ELABORACION

1. Pelamos la cebolla, lavamos el tomate y le quitamos la piel.
2. Cortamos en dados los tomates y muy fina la cebolla.
3. Lavamos la lima y la partimos por la mitad, retirando las semillas y exprimimos el jugo.
4. Cortamos los aguacates por la mitad, quitamos el hueso, y ayudandonos de una cuchara, le sacamos la carne, y lo ponemos  en el recipiente con el jugo de la lima.
5. Ponemos sal a el aguacate y el zumo de lima y lo aplastamos bien con un tenedor.
6. Agregamos la cebolla, y el tomate a la mezcla de el aguacate.
7. Mezclamos bien el conjunto.

HUMMUS

This recipe can serve as an appetizer, spread on some crackers or vegetables like carrots and also you can use hummus  to fill in roasted peppers and the result is delicious.
Hummus is very popular in Middle East and it seems to be native to Ancient Egypt,, but the elaboration it was very different.
The main ingredient is the chickpea, as a puree,mashed chickpeas with lemon juice, a cream called tahini(sesame seeds paste)and olive oil, at the end you can add garlic, paprika or the flavor that you like more.
Chickpeas have a high value in proteins , in unsaturated fatty acids, like oleic and linoleic acids, as well as fiber, which help us to promote bowel transit.
Chickpeas provide us with high energy and a low sodium content, which makes them highly recommended  as a part of a healthy diet.


INGREDIENTS

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 350g cooked chickpeas(if they are in a can you have to rinse them before to reduce the sodium content)
• 2 tbsp of tahini
• 125ml water
• juice of half lemon
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• pinch of salt

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Soak the garlic cloves with olive oil and wrap them in foil
3. Bake the garlic cloves about 20 minutes.
4. After their time, get the cloves out of the oven, removed the foil and let them cool.
5. Blend the garlic with the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients and grind them until we obtain a fine paste.
6. Serve with toasts or some veggies

HUMMUS

Esta receta que os dejo aquí puede servir como una aperitivo untado en unos crackers o vegetales como zanahorias y también lo podeis utilizar para rellenar  unos pimientos asados y queda de lujo.
El humus es muy popular en el Oriente Medio y parece tener su origen en el antiguo Egipto, aunque su preparacion era muy diferente.

Es un plato hecho a base de pure de garbanzos con zumo de limon, una crema llamada tahin(pasta de semillas de sesamo) y aceite de oliva, luego se le pueden agregar otros ingredientes como ajo, pimentón...
En este caso el garbanzo, es muy rico nutricionalmente hablando.Tiene un alto valor en proteínas, y en unos acidos grasos insaturados, acido oleico y linoleico, ademas de fibra, que nos ayuda a favorecer el transito intestinal.
Tienen un gran valor energético y un bajo contenido en sodio, con lo cual le hacen altamente recomendable como parte de  nuestra alimentación saludable.

INGREDIENTES

• 3 cabezas de ajo peladas
• 1 cucharada de aceite de oliva
• 350 g de garbanzos cocidos aprox(si los utilizais enlatados, pasadlos por agua para reducirlos el contenido de sodio)
• 2 cucharadas soperas de tahini
• 125ml de agua
• zumo de 1/2 limon
• 1 cucharada de cafe de pimenton 
• pizca de sal

***El Tahini lo podeis encontrar en herbolarios y tiendas de dietetica.

ELABORACION

1. Calentamos el horno a unos 180C(350F).
2. Impregnamos nuestras cabezas de ajo con aceite de oliva y las envolvemos en papel de aluminio.
3. Las ponemos en el horno y las horneamos como por unos 20 minutos.
4. Una vez pasado este tiempo, lo sacamos de el horno, retiramos  el papel de aluminio y dejamos enfriar.
5. Mezclamos el ajo con los garbanzos y el resto de los ingredientes y lo trituramos todo hasta que quede en forma de una pasta fina.
6. Lo servimos con un poco de pan tostado o unos vegetales como zanahorias.

MINIPIZZAS DE PORTOBELLO

Ya no podeis decir que a vuestros  hijos no les gustan los champiñones, porque con esta idea tan original seguro que no se resisten a probarlos.

En este caso yo compre los champinones Portobello(Agaricus brunnescens), que son deliciosos y de la misma familia que el champiñón blanco(Agaricus Bisporus), pero su sabor es mas dulce y fresco.

Este tipo de hongo a mi me encanta laminado y a la parrilla, o bien en las ensaladas.

Como ya os comente en otro post anterior tienen un alto valor nutritivo, ricos en fibra,vitaminas y minerales(fósforo, cobre, zinc, hierro y potasio) con la gran ventaja de aportar pocas calorías y tienen un alto poder saciante con lo que son muy adecuados para las dietas hipocaloricas.

A continuacion os detallo lo que necesitais,

INGREDIENTES

• 6 o 7 champinones portobello(en su defecto utilizar los blancos)
• 1 cucharada de aceite de oliva
• salsa de tomate
• Ajo en polvo
• Especias italianas u oregano
• Queso mozarella rallado

PREPARACION

1. Precalentamos el horno a 375F(180C).Ponemos papel de aluminio en una bandeja apta para el horno.Con una brocha pintamos el papel de alumnio con algo de aceite.
2. Limpiamos los champinones quitandoles la posible tierra y suciedad con un papel de cocina.
3. Quitamos los tallos de los hongos y los ponemos en la bandeja con la zona del tallo hacia abajo y los pintamos también con el aceite.
4. Los horneamos por unos 10 minutos
5. Mientras mezclamos en un recipente la salsa de tomate, el ajo en polvo y las especies.
6. Pasados los 10 minutos sacamos los champiñones, los escurrimos de el posible liquido que tengan y los ponemos con la zona del tallo hacia arriba y los rellenamos con nuestra salsa de tomate.
7. Espolvoreamos el queso mozzarella y volvemos a hornearlos hasta que el queso se derrita.
8. Riquisimos!!!