the "i like" list- recipes.

This week has been all about food for me. I thought my last pregnancy had my cravings running on full speed & that once bebe Amelie Sol was born, the obsession would disappear or at least slow down. But noooo! It's been evolving... growing... & pretty much convincing me that culinary is the way to go as far as going back to school!

I LOVE FOOD.

I'm starting to try new things. My confidence in the kitchen has increased & I find myself making my own simple creations. I wake up trying to decide what to make for dinner. I go to sleep craving my breakfast. Haha, sometimes, I wonder if it's ok to think about food the way I do. There's peacefulness in cooking & touching food, connecting with it & knowing that what my family & consume is healthy & made with lots of thoughtfulness & love.

The recipes & links I'm sharing this Friday are a reflection of the style of cooking that I enjoy. I experiment & am attracted to minimalistic & the most naturally simple dishes. The ingredients are no more than 5 or 6 things. However, there are those few recipes that require some time & more than a couple ingredients, but definitely worth it!

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Brown Rice & Almond Tabbouleh



(image from stonesoup free e-cookbook)



I craved this for a while & just finished buying the red onion to make it this weekend. I can't wait! Jules from Stonesoup has a great blog. I get her e-mails, & this is one of the many recipes I've tried & fallen head over heels for. In my personal opinion (& from experience), I would make this & eat it the next day, or even the second, to let the lemon juice become soaked up real nice! Mmm... just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

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Black Bean Salad with Feta and Red Peppers



(image by http://ghettogalley.com/)

This recipe is originally from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas. I own this cookbook & had recently lost it in our apartment move. Last night, I found it in a bag my mama gave me with random things we had left while we stayed. Anyway, back to the recipe! It's yummy, goes well with scrambled eggs & requires no cooking if you use canned beans. Very simple to make!

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Benny's Jicama Salsa



(image by MyCakies)

My mama & tried this refreshing salsa to Ada's Multicultural Night at her school & it was a hit! We had to end up printing copies of the recipe to give out to moms. So, Ruby Ellen & her Benny, thanks for sharing this treat with me & everyone. The summer's here, & this yummy salsa by MyCakies blog will be making frequent appearances at bbq's!

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Spring Salad with New Potatoes



(image by http://www.smittenkitchen.com/)

I'll be trying this recipe in the next days. Full of in-season veggies, this spring salad is calling my name. Smitten Kitchen food does require some time & a bit more ingredients than I'm used to, but it's definitely worth the effort. I just bought fingerling potatoes from Costco for the first time some days ago, so as soon as I make, I'll update my post on this!

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Flan de Guayaba & Queso (Guava Cheese Flan)



(image by Erica)

My brother Rafael has a birthday coming up. Lucky him! The surprise that awaits him! Shhh! He doesn't know I'm making this for him, so it's our little secret. But, I do usually make him a treat for friends & family to eat during cake time. I'm sure everyone will love it. I'm certain I will. I got the recipe from here. It will be my first time making flan. Hopefully, all goes smooth!

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Enjoy these delicias.

I'm off to a sweet weekend with the loved ones. Laundry & a jog with my sister this afternoon. Soccer game at Toyota Park with Ada on Saturday. I'm making curtains with Emiliano's mama, Elia, so I'll be having ME time with my sewing machine. Sweet weekend to you, too!