Porotos Granados (Chilean Summer Bean Stew)

One of my favorite Chilean dishes is called Porotos Granados and it condenses the summer for us: corn, basil, fresh tomatoes and these summer beans that in the United States are called butter peas, but they are very hard to find. People replace them with cranberry beans or even a combination of white beans (such as Great Northern) and lima beans, canned. Butter peas can be found in the South and the last time I went to Gainesville to visit our family I bought two bags of them, frozen, and brought them back to Minneapolis in the plane. It was annoying, but it paid off! The brand Margaret Holmes offers them in cans and I think you can order them online.

There are two versions of Porotos Granados: "con mazamorra" (meaning that some of the corn has been processed or grated and added later) and "sin mazamorra" (meaning that the corn is added whole, making this dish more of a soup). My husband prefers "con", so that's what I usually make.

Recipe (for 4 people)

- 2    cans of Great Northern beans, drained
- 1    can of lima beans
Or
- 4    cups of frozen butter peas
Or
- 3    cans of Margaret Holmes butter peas

- 1    small onion chopped
- 1    piece of red pepper (chopped, 1 tablespoon)
- 2    cups of cubed pumpkin, acorn squash or butternut squash
- 3    cloves of garlic
- 3    cups of fresh corn kernels
- 2    links of chorizo sausage (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3    cups of low sodium chicken broth (optional, add water for vegetarians)
-       olive oil
-       salt
-       pepper
-       oregano
-       paprika
-       merken (Chilean spice, I have a friend who's working on introducing this beautiful spice mixture in the United States. His brand is called Etnia)

Directions:

Cut chorizo in thick slices. In a dutch oven, saute chorizo in its own fat until brown and remove.
In the same pot, make a "sofrito" (sauteing the onion, pepper and garlic in olive oil until the onion is transparent). Add all the spices, salt and pepper. Add the beans and the pumpkin and mix. Add one cup of whole corn kernels. Add chicken broth and one cup of water. In a blender or food processor, process the rest of the corn kernels and the fresh basil until they become a coarse paste. Add mixture to the soup and half of the chorizo slices, stir and let cook for thirty minutes.

Serve with the rest of the chorizo slices on top and with a tomato basil salad (just diced tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil and salt).

Enjoy!

Summer Gazpacho

Summer time is your best chance to lose weight, mainly because of the amazing variety of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs available. Gazpacho is an easy, delicious and super nutritious way to refresh and feed yourself with a minimum of calories and a maximum of flavor. Here's my recipe:


For 2


- 1    cucumber
- 1    large summer tomato
- 1    large garlic clove
- 1    big handful of fresh herbs of your choice (cilantro, basil, parsley, thyme, tarragon, etc.)
- 2    green onions
- 1    piece of bell pepper (the size of a tablespoon)
- 2    cups bloody mary mix (my favorite is Trader Joe's, but any will work)
- 1    cup of watercress or arugula
- 1    lemon juiced
- 1    lime juiced
- 1    tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1    tablespoon olive oil (optional, it adds calories)
Salt and pepper


Put all the ingredients in the blender adding 3 ice cubes. Serve in a bowl and decorate with a dash of olive oil, fresh herbs and a little ball of sour cream (optional).


It's filling and less than 100 calories!!!


My husband's empty bowl:

Asian Salmon

Fancy explanation: 

Ginger and maple grilled salmon, with coconut jasmin rice and mushroom avocado salad

 

SALMON

- 2    pieces of fresh salmon


Marinate salmon for 30 minutes in a mix of (x teaspoons):


- 2    soy
- 1    fish sauce
- 2    maple syrup
- 2    dijon mustard
- 2    mirin (rice cooking wine)
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/2 garlic
- 1/2 ginger

Pat dry and grill on stove top or outside grill. Put the marinate in a saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of water to the marinade and bring to boil.

COCONUT JASMIN RICE

- 1    cup jasmin rice
- 2    tablespoons coconut milk
- 1    teaspoon sugar
- 1    teaspoon salt

Prepare jasmin rice according to package, but replace two tablespoons of water with two tablespoons of coconut milk and adding salt and sugar.

AVOCADO AND MUSHROOM SALAD WITH GINGER DRESSING

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl:

- 1    avocado diced
- 5    mushrooms sliced
- 2    cups mixed greens
- 4    torn basil leaves

The perfect japanese ginger dressing (you can run everything in the food processor or grate ginger, onion and carrot and later mix all together):

- 1    tablespoon ginger
- 1    teaspoon mayonnaise
- 2    tablespoons carrot
- 1    teaspoon onion
- 1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste
- 2    tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3    tablespoons soy sauce
- 1    tablespoon sugar

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

Put a mold of rice in one corner.
Mix salad and dressing and pile a cup on the opposite corner.
Place salmon in between and top with some of the reduced marinade.

My husband's empty plate: