Healthy Spring Coleslaw

Posted on May 9, 2012 by administrador

Let’s face it. At age 7, the only good thing about coleslaw was the creamy dressing and essentially that is how I ate cabbage when I was a kid. In adulthood, I still enjoyed coleslaw, but lately I’ve been trying to find a recipe that is tasty without the calories. And I found it! I’ve made my own modifications –as I usually do. Here, I share it with you.

You will need a white or red cabbage or a combination of both (whatever your preference) shredded. I’m not very fast at cutting vegetables, so I cheat and buy the coleslaw shredded cabbage at the supermarket. Have some olive oil, juice from one lemon, about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, half of a green apple peeled and grated, about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, some salt to season and chopped cilantro.

Combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Add this to the grated apple and mix well. Add the shredded cabbage and mix everything together. Season to taste. Make sure the dressing is to your liking. Add more vinegar, oil, mustard depending on your preference. To finish the salad, sprinkle some chopped cilantro. If you find that cilantro is too strong for your taste, you can use some Italian parsley or regular parsley if it has flavour. In the North, I find parsley to be a bit tasteless, so that is why I prefer using stronger herbs, such as cilantro.

This is a perfect light salad for spring. I like to eat it with fish, for example. In Vancouver we have beautiful wild salmon. Grill it or bake it with some salt, pepper, chilli or cayenne powder to give it a punch and some garlic. I usually add a bit of white wine and lemon juice and cook it just so it’s not raw, but still juicy and delicious.

Here is the final dish! I love lemon with my seafood, so a few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice to the fish and that is just about perfect. A glass of nice chilled white wine goes really well with this. Salud!

Ambrosia launches website and tours – Promotional prices for first bookings!

Posted on February 1, 2012 by administrador

We are delighted to launch Ambrosia Culinary & Gourmet Tours website after many months of hard work and coordination among our team. Things are cooking up here and we are preparing exciting culinary activities and adventures for the foodie traveler interested in experiencing culture through flavour.

There are several one-day culinary and cooking packages to suit your liking, but be sure that we will keep adding more and more adventures as they come available and according to demand. So, if you want a culinary tour tailored to your needs, do let us know and we’ll be happy to design one just for you.

Are you traveling in Ecuador in February? Why not booking an adventure now to receive a promotional price! Tours on February 14, 16, 20, 22 and 29 are US$90/person (regular price is US$150). If you want to be part of our pilot tours, please book with us or contact us for more details.

We invite you to take a moment to go through our website and read more about Ambrosia’s approach to food and travel. And since this is an interactive space, make sure you leave us a comment. We would love to hear from you.

Want to tell other people about Ambrosia? You can share our site through different social media channels in the section below. You can also Like us on Facebook and share an Ambrosia postcard on your wall or your friends’ walls. For instant updates follow us on Twitter.

Achiote

Posted on December 4, 2011 by administrador

Also known as annatto. This is probably one of the ingredients used the most in Ecuadorian cooking because it adds colour to the food without overpowering its original taste. It’s a seed from a tropical tree of theAmericasgrowing on the coast or the jungle. It’s widely used in a variety of dishes not only inEcuador, but in other parts of the Latin American region. Besides providing a beautiful rich red and orange colour, achiote gives a very delicate peppery and nutmeg aroma without changing the consistency and the original flavour of the food.

It is countless the variety of recipes and dishes where achiote can be found as an indispensable add-on. Just to name a few, achiote is commonly used in rice, soups, sauces and stews, meats and poultry, and even to add colour to cheese and ice cream.

Check out the Food page regularly for recipes and ingredients!

Tilapia Stew

Posted on November 2, 2011 by administrador

30 minutes 4 portions
When thinking about the meal of the day, a quick and flavourful option is always welcome. Stews are preferred because they are fast and easy and one can combine a variety of vegetables and meats with different seasoning and herbs to make them delicious. Every culture has its own variation of stew, from ancient Greeks and Romans to Amazonian tribes, French cuisine and Korean spicy alternatives. In Ecuador, there is no exception. Many dishes are prepared following the steps of traditional stews with certain modifications, of course. Here, we present a simple recipe using Tilapia, a perfect fish for this kind of cooking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

488 grams of tilapia fish (fillet)
1 white onion finely chopped
1 small green pepper cut in cubes
2 tomatoes diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 Tbsp butter
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Fresh or dry basil

Instructions:

In medium heat, sauté garlic and onion in melted butter, add pepper, tomato and chopped basil. Season to taste. Add the tilapia fillets making sure it’s covered with all the vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes in low heat letting the fish capture the flavours without overcooking. You can serve this dish with fresh salad and sautéed potatoes with oregano.

Lentil Minestrone

Posted on October 6, 2011 by administrador

30 minutes 4 portions
Soups are a traditional dish always present in Ecuadorian cuisine. Many people would say that if their meal doesn’t come with soup, it’s almost like not having a meal at all. They integrate a variety of ingredients, textures, consistencies, colours and flavours and are a great start of your culinary experience. People take their time to prepare these staple dishes by incorporating fresh ingredients and making their own broth. The good news is that there are different levels of complexity depending on the style of recipe you choose. In this particular Minestrone, which is a family recipe, we recommend using dry lentils, carrots, white cabbage and tomato. Spices such as cumin and herbs like cilantro provide an exquisite aroma and flavour, which are very hard to resist. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients

½ cup of dry lentils
2 leaves of a white cabbage chopped
1 carrot diced
4 small potatoes peeled and cut in cubes
¼ cup of farfalle pasta
2 beef rib bones (for the broth)
1 small tomato diced
½ red onion finely chopped
½ green pepper cut in small cubes
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp. of cilantro finely chopped
1 tbsp. of achiote paste (optional)
olive oil
salt, pepper and cumin to taste

Instructions:

Put the beef rib bones in boiling water until the meat is cooked. In another pot place the dry lentils cover them in water and cook until they are soft. Add the white cabbage and carrots to the beef broth and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the potatoes and pasta and a refrito made by sauteing garlic, onion, pepper, tomato and cilantro in olive oil and achiote paste, if you are using. Continue cooking, ensuring there is enough liquid in the soup (you can add a couple of cups of boiling water if necessary). To finish, add the cooked lentils to the soup and season to taste with salt, pepper and cumin. Leave it simmering for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Do not have enough time? Try making this soup the night before or use a slow cooker.