My food

“Close to Nature, close to home”. That’s how my meals feel since the ingredients are grown naturally. Going back to the ancestral fire cooking and, as a result, providing an authentic cuisine where fruits, vegetables, grains and dry fruits in their original form align us with that intelligence and nourish us with their benefits. Eating locally is primarily a gift to our environment and community. 

Potato Mille Feuilles

Ingredients for the mille feuilles: Ingredients for the sauce:
  • 1 sheet of parchment paper
  • 1 box of toothpicks
  • 1L of frying oil
  • 1Kg of potatoes
  • 150mL of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 200mL of olive oil
  • 2Kg of ripe roma tomatoes
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 small leek
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 small carrot
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 5 mushrooms
  • 1/2 glass of white wine
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 pinch of oregano
  • 5 basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

For the mille feuilles:

Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them lengthwise as thin as possible (I used a mandoline or slicer). In a stainless steel bowl, mix the potato slices with oil, salt and pepper.

In a stainless steel mold (pudding type), place the parchment paper on the base and arrange the potato slices until you reach the upper edge. Cover with parchment paper then add weight on top of it (such as a brick wrapped in metallic paper). Bake over medium heat for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool without removing the weight. Once cold, you can unmold and cut into portions (of your preferred size). Stick 2 toothpicks in each portion to prevent it from falling apart, and fry them in very hot oil until they are golden.

For the red sauce:

Wash and peel the vegetables then cut them roughly the same size. In a pot, heat the oil and fry all the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, paprika, basil, oregano and sugar. Once the vegetables are sweaty, add the white wine and cook for another 20 minutes over low heat. 

Remove from heat and blend the preparation. Bring it back to the fire, this time indirectly, by adding a steel plate on top of which you’ll place the pot with the sauce. Let cook over low heat for 2 hours. 

Presentation:

In a hollow dish, make a base with the red sauce then place the mille feuilles in the middle and top with a little more sauce. I had some pesto at home and added flowers and shoots from the garden.

Don’t forget to try this tasty delight if you visit us at Fuegos de Xul-Ha.

Mediterranean guacamole

Ingredients:
  • 1 avocado
  • 4 shrimps
  • 5 nuts
  • 4 black olives
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
  • Sprouts for decoration
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic reduction
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 beetroot
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tablespoon of Jerez vinegar (sherry)
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • Juice from 1/2 orange
  • Few drops of vanilla extract

Instructions

For the guacamole:

Cut the avocado into cubes and the olives into small slices. Chop the nuts and add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

In a frying pan, add a little oil then the minced garlic and the shrimp. Sauté the shrimps until they change color or appear well cooked. Peel the cucumber into thin slices.

For the beetroot cream:

Boil the beets with plenty of water and salt. Once you can pierce the beets with a toothpick, remove from water and blend together with the Jerez vinegar and Dijon mustard.

For the carrot mousse:

On a sheet of metallic paper, place the butter, the carrot cut into even slices, and the sugar. Wrap and cook in the oven until the carrot slices can be pierced with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and blend with orange juice and vanilla extract.

Presentation:

Mount a stainless steel ring on a plate. Place the guacamole mixture and wrap it with the cucumber slice(s). Arrange the shrimps on top of the guacamole and spread the balsamic reduction over the top, add the sprouts. Finally add the beetroot cream and carrot mousse as decoration.