THE EASIEST HOLIDAY RECIPE IN THE WORLD

Thanks to Lifemoves Health for the recipe "like" their page for great tips and advice about well-being and pre-natal care...http://www.facebook.com/lifemoveshealth

Read about their upcoming events and articles at http://conta.cc/u27LBO

When you think of the holidays, you think of delicious eats! But where can you find the time?
We recommend that you keep it simple, starting with the easiest holiday recipe in the world--Cinnamon tea!




Cinnamon Tea

• Fill 1 ˝ quart pot or kettle with water
• Add 1-3 cinnamon sticks
• Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer for another 10 minutes (watch that there is adequate water in the pot/kettle while simmering)
• Pour into a cup and enjoy-it is naturally sweet!*

(*You can add any type of milk, though for its digestive benefits, drinking the tea without milk is best)

What else is there to cinnamon? Read on!

(*facts collected from this source)

-Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.*

-In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.*

-In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.*

-In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.*

-From Wikipedia, it has shown to have anti-viral properties.

-Dr. Oz recommends it for anti-aging. Cinnamon - to decrease blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol.

And the countdown begins...

The hours for the Coqui the Chef Project are rapidly going down, soon the videos will no longer be visible online. Sad but true. We are now counting on you to help make the cooking show and community events possible. Let's combat diabetes and obesity together. Are you in? hurry we only have a less than 53 hours.

Check out our fund raiser project here: http://kck.st/t2SMw1

SPECIAL REWARD!!
Pledge $10 or more RIGHT NOW and get "Coqui the Chef's Holiday Menu Cookbook" (elec. format) as a complimentary gift delivered to email inbox right away!

Recipes like Beef Stew (Sancocho), Fried Plantains with Mango/Peach Lime Salsa (Tostones con Salsa de Mango/Melocotón y Limón), Stuffed Potato Balls (Papas Rellenas al Estilo Boricua), Octopus Salad (ensalada de pulpo), Passion Fruit Bread Pudding (budin de pan con parcha) and much more...

A Special Holiday Moment...

A Special Holiday Moment...
Are you ready for some Holiday cooking? There's no better way to celebrate the holidays than cooking at home. Filling your home and kitchen with the sweet and enticing aromas of cinnamon, coconut, vanilla and baked cookies. What is even more fun being able to control the amount you put of sugar, salt, and other ingredients into your food and desserts. NOW, that is a great way to spend your holidays! Check out my holiday cookie recipe and start filling your home with delightful aromas.

Holiday Cookies with Fruit (kids cooking) Since the children will be home from school for the holidays, rather than trying to find a way to keep them occupied so you can cook, make them your assistants. You can ask each child to name the cookies after themselves. Encourage them to make a few changes to the standard recipe to personalize it as "theirs."

Holiday Cookies with Fruit

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 stick of salted/unsalted butter
• 1 cup of regular sugar of your choice (click here to select a healthy/safe sugar)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear one)
• 1 organic egg
• 3 cups of flour
• Fruit/jelly of your choice: cranberry, strawberry, blueberry, mango, peach etc.

Procedure:

In a mixer, by hand or blender add butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, egg blend well.  Now add flour mixer little by little.  Once done make medium balls and place them on the oven tray.  With your thumb, press down making a small hole in the middle of the cookie dough or make slightly small holes with a straw and add the fruit/jelly. Place in the oven 350 degrees F until done.

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Photos from the Holiday event with Coqui the Chef in Spanish Harlem. Special thanks to Fonseca Fotography and our 16 year old Photography intern Kassy for these wonderful photos that captured the moment.
Click here to see all the photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150462022136037.378027.21844716036&type=3&l=e4640a89ed

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Sadly Coqui the Project...Eat and Drink Healthy! is coming to an end only 8 days left and far away from reaching the fundraising goal. Plans for the cooking show and other community events will be put on hold for a while maybe a year or so until funding or sponsors are available again. 'Til then we hope you liked the video and all we accomplished in 2011.
If you haven't seen the video yet check it out today! Watch the video and bloopers here: http://kck.st/t2SMw1

How to Wrap a Tortilla!

Want your chicken tortilla to taste RICO? Then try Chicken Fajita Marinade from Summer Grilling with Coqui The Chef cookbook. You can purchase the cookbook on the Merchandise tab.

Special thanks to Steve Frankl The Tortilla Guy for bringing Coqui The Chef the best tortillas ever!! Check out his Facebook page and ask for tortilla samples! Tell him Coqui The Chef sent you.

The Tortilla Guy Facebook page: http://facebook.com/thetortillaguy

Yo canto Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!

Sometimes we need a little something to remember our LOVE for the coqui. Enjoy!!

El co-qui, el co-qui a mi me encanta,

Es tan lindo el cantar del coqui,

Por las noches al ir a acostarme,

Me a-dor-me-ce can- tan - do a-si.

Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!

Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!

The co-qui, the co-qui so delights me.

With his song i need never count sheep.

Ev'ry night when i lie on my pillow,

Here's the singing that lulls me to sleep.

Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!

Co-qui, co-qui, co-qui, qui, qui, qui!

Sadly, three of the 16 species of the coquis in Puerto Rico are highly endangered. The web-footed Coqui, el Coquí Palmeado, and the Mottled Coqui, el Coquí Eneida, are classified as threatened in Puerto Rico. El Coquí Dorado is the most endangered of the three.

Read and print out this beautiful folktale about The Song of Coquí


  

Many, many years ago, when the earth was still covered with trees and green and flowering plants, and the animals lived together in peace, the islands of the Caribbean were ruled by la cotorra, the parrot, La Iguaca. Queen Iguaca was a wise and caring ruler, but she was saddened by what she saw in her native island of Puerto Rico.  click here to read more...

How did that get on MyPlate?

Coqui the Chef on "MyPlate" Interview by Lisandra Lamboy

Earlier this summer the USDA and our first lady Michelle Obama did away with our pyramid and released a brand spanking new nutrition symbol for healthier eating entitled myplate! I knew Coqui the Chef would have lots to say about this so I decided to go visit him in his little cacique.

Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid over sized portions. 

Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.  

courtesy of New York Post

Here is a sample of MyPlate entrée:
The old food pyramid is ancient!  The New York Post asked Three chefs adapt their dishes to the new noshing rules

Eric Ripert, Lidia Bastianich, and Bill Telepan to create their ideal MyPlate entrée (the USDA's new icon designed to replace the food pyramid). Eric Ripert (of course) made barely-cooked salmon with ratatouille, instant black wild rice, and "strawberries with honey for dipping in a side of Greek yogurt."

LL: Hi Coquito! So what do you think about America’s new nutrition symbol and guidelines for healthier eating Coquito?

Coqui the Chef: Bueno, I definitely think it’s an improvement from what we had before:

I could never really tell how many fruits and vegetables I was supposed to eat by looking at the mypyramid symbol. The new symbol makes it muy claro that our meals and snacks should always include a fruit or a vegetable. Por ejemplo, you could add strawberries and bananas to yogurt, peppers and tomatoes to omelettes, have vegetable-based soups for lunch and prepare a salad every time you have dinner. Si quieres, you should visit www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov they have a calculator that tells you exactly how many fruits and vegetables your body needs a day to stay healthy.

LL: Thanks for letting me know about that calculator, I’m definitely going to try it when I get home! On to my next question, what do you think about the advice given about balancing calories and avoiding over sized portions?

Coqui the Chef: Si, si…this advice is definitely important. Think about the way our typical plate looks like, it is usually overflowing with white rice, beans and lots of meat like pollo o carne asada (chicken or roasted beef). We need to start thinking less is better, rather than more is better. I know people who get really upset when they don’t get a plate filled with food. They think that they aren’t getting enough for their money. But, unfortunately those huge portion sizes aren’t doing you any good since they are giving your body more calories than what it really needs. Remember, all the calories that your body doesn’t use up during the day gets stored in your body as fat, and fat as we all know is difficult to get rid of. I know it’s not easy to tell if you’re eating the right amount of food so if you need some help with that, just visit WebMD’s Portion Size Guide.  Print it so that you can put it on your refrigerator and always have it handy.

LL: That’s a great guide to have; I’m definitely going to put that on my fridge. So for my last question, what do you think about their recommendation to limit sugary drinks and drink water instead? What should people who don’t like the taste of water drink?

Coqui the Chef: Sugary drinks are a big problem para nuestra gente! The NYC Department of Health states that “a 20-ounce bottle of soda can contain 16 ½ teaspoons of sugar,” which can add up to 250 calories extra a day to our diet. They also found that the number one consumers of sugary beverages live in the Bronx and are between 18-44 years old, so it is really important that we think twice before buying that soda at la bodega every day. Remember if you don’t like drinking water you need to stick to drinks that contain 25 calories or less for every 8 oz. serving. Visit the website for more recommendations from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s “Pouring on the Pounds” campaign

LL: Well thanks for your time Coquito, you sure have a lot great advice to share with us. 

Coqui the Chef: De nada, any time you want to come chat just visitame! Cuidate! Coqui, coqui…

Latin Inspired Cupcakes

Where can you find the most delicious, saboroso, mouth-watering cupcakes? 

In "Brooklyn Cupcake Bakery" located at 335 Union Avenue (bet. Grand & Maujer), Brooklyn, NY 11211

They have a variety of flavors including coquito, flan de queso, guava con queso, tres leche and many more. In the bakery, you can sit, drink café, and eat your cupcake while looking at awesome Graffitti Artwork produced by the kids from the Paint Straight Program.

If you live in Brooklyn or in New York pass by and treat yourself to a cupcake, tell them Coqui The Chef sent you. My dream is that they name a cupcake after me "Coqui the Chef Cupcake" Hey you never know!

I love treats! Every now and then I like to treat myself but to control my appetite for treats and keep my body healthy...I created the "T Policy" which states "Treat your body to one treat only on days that have a T"

“To eat is a necessity–to eat intelligently is an art.” - La Rochefoucauld

Here are some of my favorites:

Guava Cupcake

Coquito Cupcake

Visit their Facebook page for 10% off coupon and much more...http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Cupcake/118507368193740?sk=wall

How to use your palate for a better diet...

Every bite leaves a taste in our mouth, but what happens when we eat processed foods?

First let me introduce one of the tools you are equipped with your PALATE.  

What is a palate and what does it do? It's located on the roof of your mouth in between the nasal cavity and the oral cavity (see diagram below)

A palate is a person's appreciation of taste. Developing the palate requires an ability to retain the information to memory. For example, when a family member/friend cooks a meal,  what happens when you eat it? The taste triggers a memory.

diagram courtesy of Wikipedia

The Caribbean has become more Westernized as they are more exposed to fast foods exported from the United States. They have increasingly become prone to Western diseases. Remember when your grandparents talked about how they raised their own garden, chickens, cows etc... and used them in their meals. Remember the taste? Your palate does. Your body does too. 

recaito from Puerto Rico

Ultimately, eating processed food can cost you money and your own health. There’s something special about cooking your own meals the benefits can led you to a healthier and happier life. Various food processing companies aren't interested in your health. They are running a business and their need to make money is stronger than worrying about what's inside the products they sell. Therefore, they make these products more sugary, salty and saturated with savory fat.   

Most people suffer from high rates of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Try to eat less processed food. Make dietary changes NOW!!

Make health-promoting and planet saving changes in what and how you eat!

Do you ever wonder how you change the world one bite at a time? 

Quotes are often used on social networking sites, making people think, making people comment or like the status. Below are some quotes you can use to send a message to those you love and to those who just need to open their eyes.

Quotes: 

Cooking Life Tip:"Pass down memories to your children, bring them to the kitchen and make a meal they'll remember, not only from their palate but also from their heart."

Cooking Life Tip: "Save your recipes, before it's too late. Ask your mom, dad, grandparents, etc... for their traditional family recipes then take a pen and paper, now start writing!"

"If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't" ~ Michael Pollan
 
"If you say grace, ask for food that will keep us, and the world healthy" ~Food, inc.
 
"You can change the food system. Buy from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect" ~Food, inc.