Crafting the art of Sushi

Posted on April 26, 2017 by spikerey724

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Dragon Roll Sushi by Louie Anthony Cortez
Story and photos by Ricardo Reyes

St. Mary’s University has and continues to bring a diverse set of students through its doors over the years, each with their own set of skills. Louie Anthony Cortez was one of those students, skilled in writing and cooking.

Cortez graduated from St. Mary’s with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2000 and a master’s degree in English Literature and Language in 2010. For over 15 years, Cortez has served as the office coordinator at the Blume Library. His passions have always included writing and cooking. While writing is a prominent activity in his life, the skill of cooking came later.

Cortez’s love for cooking began after he graduated with his bachelor’s degree and returned to live at home with his parents.

“Cooking provided me the opportunity to foster a relationship with my mother I did not have before college. It also made me much more independent,” Cortez says.

Like many Hispanic families, food is a way of communicating and bonding. While his first dishes were traditionally Hispanic recipes like enchiladas or tamales, Cortez has also taken a fondness for Asian cuisine.

The dragon roll sushi is one of Cortez’s favorite entrees because of its simplicity and versatility in combining some of his favorite seafood: crab and shrimp.

“Not only is it delicious, but I love making this dish with friends. It is a lot of fun teaching someone how to make their own sushi,” he says.

Dragon Roll Sushi

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sushi rice
  • 4-6 nori sheets
  • 20 medium size shrimps
  • 1 cup Tempura
  • 2 Avocado
  • 2 Cucumber
  • 100gr Tobiko
  • 100gr BBQed eel or Crab

Directions

  1. First, mix the tempura with a little bit of water and stir until combined to a thick even mixture. Cut off shrimp tails, and dip the shrimps, one by one, in tempura mixture and deep fry for about 30 sec or until the outside gets golden-brownish.
  2. Slice the cucumber into long slices, and use a peeler to peal thin avocado layers.
  3. Spread the rice on the nori sheet, and flip it over the mat so that the rice is now facing upwards. Lay the avocado the cucumber sticks you have cut in advance, and line up some tempura shrimps and on top of that slices of eel. Roll it inside-out style and cut the endings, but leave the rest whole for now
  4. Elegantly, cover the top of the roll with the layers of avocado you made with the peeler, and use the bamboo mat to tighten it to the roll.
  5. Use a little spoon to carefully spread some Tobiko on the roll.

Makes 2 servings

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Paleo Stuffed Avocados with Cilantro Cream Sauce

Posted on December 15, 2016 by jpaigevalderas

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Healthy Paleo-Diet Keeps Hall Director Motivated
Story and Photos by Paige Gandara-Valderas

As a full-time hall director in Founders Hall, Samantha Garcia enjoys cooking when she can.

Garcia, a San Antonio native, received her undergraduate degree in leadership and development from Texas A&M and a graduate degree in Seattle. She enjoys that St. Mary’s has a nice family feel to it and that everyone supports
one another.

“We all have each others backs. It’s an ‘I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine… and if you can’t scratch it back just yet, don’t worry about it’,” Garcia says.

Growing up in San Antonio, Garcia’s favorite foods are primarily Mexican. Her favorite ingredient is avocado. She uses avocados in just about anything she eats.

“You can put avocados in any dish and it goes great with Mexican food!” Garcia says. “I love avocados even in my smoothies.”

The dish that Garcia prepares is Paleo Stuffed Avocados with Cilantro Cream Sauce, a recipe from her sister.

Cassy Joy Garcia, Garcia’s sister, is a food blogger and soon-to-be published author. She runs her own website at Fedandfit.com.

The significance of  the dish was to showcase a  healthy option and also because it is one of her sister’s first dishes. Garcia’s tip on preparing the dish is to not overcook the avocados in the oven because they can burn easily and ruin the flavor.

Garcia also enjoys her yoga workouts. Yoga, for Garcia, is a great exercise.

Garcia likes to promote mental, emotional and physical health. Garcia has also done a podcast series with her sister called “Fed and Fit Podcast: College Student Series,” which is five episodes long.

“I’ve been in college for a really long time and I am able to give a lot of insight about that. Especially since I work with college students on a daily basis,” Garcia says.

There should always be that leeway according to Garcia. It’s important for her to live in a balanced lifestyle.

“It’s all about that 80-20 balance. Eighty percent should be a really healthy portion, but 20 percent is whatever you want,” Garcia says.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken tenders
  • 5 avocados
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Chicken broth
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 4 limes for lime juice

 

Directions

Sautee 4 cloves of garlic with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil for flavor.Then, wash, dry and season the chicken tenders with a pinch of kosher salt, then sautee in extra-virgin olive oil. After that, simmer the chicken tenders in broth for about 20 minutes, then shred immideately after. Add the cumin, chili powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the black pepper to the shredded chicken to taste.Halve and de-seed five avocados and lay them out on the baking sheet to bake at 400 F for 5 minutes. For the cream sauce, stir one can of full-fat coconut milk, lime juice and cilantro. After the avocados are baked, pull out of the oven and drizzle with the cream sauce to serve.

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Chili and Cornbread

Posted on November 15, 2016 by troygrohmandesign

Chili and Cornbread by Brandon Littlefield
Videography and Production by Troy Grohman

Brandon Littlefield, a former student at St. Mary’s, studied engineering at the university until 2006. In this video, Littlefield cooks a nostalgic winter-time favorite of his youth: chili and cornbread; it has been a family tradition to prepare this dish whenever it first starts getting cold.

Ingredients

For Chili:

  • 1 tbs. of olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • ½ cup of carrots diced
  • 2 tbs. of cumin
  • 1 lb. of ground sirloin
  • 1 can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can of chipotle peppers
  • 1 can of kidney bean
  • 1 can of pinto beans
  • 1 can of black beans
  • ½ tsp. of oregano
  • 2 tsp. of adobo sauce
  • 2 cups of water

 

For cornbread:

  • 1 bag of cornbread mix
  • 2 ½ cups of milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 can of corn
  • cupcake wrappers
  • cupcake pan

 

Directions

To start the chili, begin by sweating the bell peppers onions and carrots for about 5-10 minutes. Once the vegetables are sweated and they become soft, add in the cumin and the ground sirloin, raise heat to high until the meat is fully cooked. Once the meat is done stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, adobo sauce and oregano and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the chili on low heat for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally. Then add the beans and simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes. Then the food is ready to serve.

To start the cornbread, mix in bag of cornbread mix with egg milk and corn stir in a mixer for about 3-5 minutes until it is smooth then pour in cupcake wrappers, in the pan. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until cooked all the way through (check by using a toothpick).

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Gumbo

Posted on November 7, 2016 by byesepp

Gumbo by Julie Dahlquist
Videography and Production by Joseph Dahlquist-Bauer

Julie Dahlquist a professor at Texas Christian University and St. Mary’s alumna shows us how to make Gumbo. She learned this recipe growing up in South Louisiana where cajun cooking was part of every family meal.

Ingredients 

* 1 Cup Flour
* 1 cup oil
* 1 gallon water
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped celery
* 1 pound sausage
*1/4 cup onion tops

Directions
Start by making your rue by cooking flour and oil at a low heat then add chopped vegetables and sausage. After cooking serve over hot rice. You can add salt, pepper, or tabasco sauce for seasoning.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Posted on November 6, 2016 by alexisisabelzepeda

Chicken Cordon Bleu by Anuar Duran
Videography and Production by Alexis Zepeda

Anuar Duran, Junior computer science major at St. Mary’s University, demonstrates how to cook his favorite dish, Chicken Cordon Bleu.  After learning from a friend how to prepare the dish, Anuar follows suit by teaching his friends how to cook the dish.

Ingredients:

  • 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 container of Bread crumbs
  • 4 slices of Prosciutto
  • 1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 slices of muenster cheese
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp basil
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp season salt
  • water
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs

Directions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 150 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine water, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, season salt in a large bowl and brine the chicken for 15 minutes.  After 30 minutes, dip the chicken breasts into the flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs in that order.
Once the chicken is breaded, stuff each breast with 1 slice of Muenster cheese, 1 handful of mozzarella, 1 slice of prosciutto and close with toothpicks.  Once the oven is preheated, place the chicken breasts onto a greased baking sheet and allow to bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

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Chili

Posted on November 4, 2016 by isabelsmediaproduction

Chili by Lucia Vera
Videography and Production by Isabel Vera 

Lucia Vera is an alumna of St. Mary’s University. She has been cooking for over 30 years and learned to cook from her mother. She has taken this knowledge to create her own recipe for the dish, chili. She is known for her chili and is often asked to make it at family gatherings. In this video she is demonstrating what you’ll need to make chili and how to make chili.

Recipe for Chili

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 (8 oz.) tomato sauce- optional
  • ½ small onion diced or sliced
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of flour
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of chili powder
  • 1 lb. of pinto beans (raw or canned)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of kidney beans
  • Large pan, small mixing bowl, whisk, tablespoon, teaspoon, large spoon/ladle, measuring cup/tea cup, knife, cutting board, smaller pot, serving bowl.

Recipe:

Start by preparing raw pinto beans in advance. Wash them thoroughly, place in pot, add 6 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, boil on medium heat for 2 hours. Add water as needed. If you do not want to make beans by hand, use canned pinto beans instead. Next cook raw beef thoroughly. Add 6 cups of water to beef, as it is still raw. Cook until beef is brown, drain the fat. Chop or slice an onion and add to cooked meat. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, diced tomatoes and chili powder to chili. Let the chili simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, add flour and 1 cup of water.. Whisk flour and water until it is a liquid consistency. Mix in whisked flour to the chili. After mixing, let chili simmer for 5 minutes. Add the whole pot of either canned pinto beans or the pinto beans made in advance into chili. Add can of kidney beans. Mix them into chili and let simmer for 10 minutes. Mix all ingredients again and add salt, chili powder, pepper, and garlic powder as you go along until you get the desired taste and consistency. After you are satisfied with the end product, let stand for 10 minutes before serving. A great compliment to chili would be corn bread or any side dish you desire. Lastly, enjoy the chili.

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Chinese Stir-Fry

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Cloud Delfina Cardona

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Chinese Stir-Fry by Norma Garza
Story and Photos by Claudia D. Cardona

When deciding what dish to prepare and eat, Norma Garza, assistant to the director of alumni events, felt adventurous. Garza typically bakes desserts or makes Tex-Mex dishes, but today she remembered a recipe she saw for a Chinese stir-fry.

Cooking has always been a task that Garza enjoys because of her love for detail-oriented tasks and planning.

“I love trying out new recipes. It’s like a new adventure every time,” she says.

Garza wanted to make something not too hard, but also not straight from a box. She does not cook too often for herself at home, but prefers to when she expects company.

At family gatherings, everyone looks forward to what Garza has prepared. For all of her nieces and nephews, she bakes their favorite type of cake for their birthday. Although she mainly bakes, she also enjoys cooking because it reminds her of her childhood.

“I started cooking with my mom at a young age so I could start learning how to make her dishes,” Garza says. “That’s how all of our recipes got passed down.”

Garza says that the stir-fry is fairly simple and fast to make. A stir-fry is perfect dish for those who want a quick dish. The hardest part is cutting up the two cloves, so Garza advises to put the one whole clove into the dish.

This was the first time that Garza had made the dish, but it turned out successfully. After preparing the dish, Garza also added soy sauce to the stir-fry to add a little flavor.

“I always have to have some sort of spice or flavor,” Garza says. “Or else it just tastes to bland to me.”

Her final product was served alongside brown rice, which gave the perfect finish to a Sunday night dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups MINUTE Brown Rice, uncooked
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in strips
  • 1 medium Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
  • 1/4 cup KIKKOMAN Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup KIKKOMAN Stir-Fry Sauce

Direction
Prepare rice according to package directions. Heat oil in non-stick large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink. Add onion, broccoli, ginger and garlic to skillet; stir-fry 3 minutes longer. Combine reserved juice, stir-fry sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to skillet. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add pineapple. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve over brown rice.

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Zambian Twist on Chicken

Posted on August 30, 2016 by erickcerritos

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Inkoko Umusalu by Nebby Mutuale
Story and photos by Erick Cerritos

The Rev. Nebby Mutale, a graduate student in communication at St. Mary’s and a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, presently lives in the George Sexton House of Studies in San Antonio.

Mutale chose to prepare a dish that is fairly common in his home country of Zambia called Inkoko Imusalu.

Mutale enjoys cooking and many of the religious brothers in his residence appreciate the food he makes for everyone.

He says the dish is fairly easy to make, and most U.S. citizens shouldn’t feel intimidated to try it out.

Mutale is a full-time student and cooking is something he loves to do when he is not studying for his classes.

“Many are able to make inkoko umusalu in Zambia,” Mutale says, because it is quite easy to observe how others prepare it.

 

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs chicken thighs
  • 5 tomatoes
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 onion
  • 1 Maggi Chicken Flavor Bouillon Cube
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon Adobo all purpose seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • salt to taste

Makes 10 servings.

 

Directions

Add chicken thighs to a large pot filled with water to just barely cover chicken and set to high for boiling. To pot add 1 tablespoon each of curry powder, black peppercorns, ground turmeric, and Adobo all purpose seasoning. Mix everything together and cook for approximately 15-25 minutes until chicken is cooked stirring occasionally.Chop 1 whole onion into small pieces (about pea sized) and set aside in a large bowl. Cut 5 medium sized tomatoes into medium sized pieces and set aside in bowl with onion. Chop 1 green bell pepper into small pieces (about pea sized) making sure to remove, stem, seeds and veins and set aside in bowl with tomatoes and onion. Finely mince 5 cloves of garlic and add to bowl. To a large, medium depth frying pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once chicken is cooked, turn off heat and turn on medium depth frying pan. Remove chicken from pot and place in pan to fry until a deep golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Once browned, remove chicken and set aside. To frying pan, add chopped onion, tomato, green bell pepper, and garlic with about a tablespoon of lemon pepper and 1 Maggi Chicken Flavor Bouillon Cube. Stir and cover for approximately 10 minutes until all vegetables are cooked and make a slightly chunky soup consistency. Add salt to taste. Turn off pan. Add fried chicken back to frying pan with cooked vegetables and stir.

 

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Enchiladas de Mole

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Ruben Dominguez

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Enchiladas de Mole by Valeria Perez
Story and photos by Ruben Dominguez

There are many authentic Mexican dishes, but for first-year graduate student Valerie Perez, there is one that means much more to her than a good meal.

“It reminds me of family,” Perez says, “I remember eating it often as a kid when I would visit my mother’s family who reside in San Luis, Potosi, Rio Verde.”

This dish, known to many as Enchiladas de Mole, is a popular dish in the Mexican culture. It is often served at weddings and Quinceaneras. The special sauce which originated from Puebla, Mexico, is a traditional ingredient of that particular area. This Oaxacan cuisine can be found used on many other Mexican dishes such as tamales, quesadillas, and chapulines.

“Mole is one of my favorite Mexican entrees to cook and eat because the sauce is different compared to other famous Mexican dishes.” Perez says.

The sauce that Perez enjoys preparing contains chocolate to give it a rich, sweet taste for its consumers. This is interesting aspect to the Mexican food enthusiast who prepares this dish quite often for dinner parties for friends in her hometown of Dallas, Texas.

“The mole sauce has a little bit of chocolate in it but you can’t really taste the chocolate when you try it,” Perez says.

In cooking this dish, Perez feels that she can connect back to her cultural heritage, something she appreciates about St. Mary’s University as well. She was inspired to make this dish after taking a Mexican-American literature course that has sparked her interest in knowing more about her roots. While the task to make them perfect is a challenge, learning to create a dish worth much more than just a great taste is an adequate reward worth the hardship.

If there was any advice on making the dish, the graduate student says to follow the instructions carefully, but not to be afraid to switch things up and put your own twist on things. This is the key to making the dish meaningful.

“Every time I make this dish, I want to make my critics remember it,” Perez says, “and to make all those that made it before me proud.”

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups of cooked chicken, already shredded
  • 3 cups of warm mole sauce
  • 12 tortillas
  • 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium size white onion, thinly sliced
  • Lettuce or any salad spring mix of your liking
  • Diced tomatoes, cucumber, freshly cut pineapples
  • Any type of salad dressing
  • Optional: basil, white shredded cheese, avocado
  • Two Frying pans

Directions

First, You will need two frying pans. Place the mole sauce in one of the frying pans and set over medium low heat. Have a plate covered with paper towels ready. Meanwhile, add the vegetable oil in the other frying pan and turn the heat to high. Once the oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium and start frying the tortillas in a fast pace, turning once. The tortilla should turn soft but without any excess oil. Place the tortillas over the paper towel-covered plate to absorb the oil. Keep them warm. After frying all the tortillas, dip them one by one with the help of kitchen tongs (or your hand and a large spatula) into the warm mole sauce, making sure it is completely submerged. This is also a step that’s done quickly, to avoid breaking the tortillas. Place the tortilla onto a plate and add the chicken filling right at the center. Fold the tortilla in the tube form and, with the help of your spatula, place the enchilada on your serving plates. If needed, spoon some more mole sauce over the enchiladas. (I use one plate exclusively to assemble the enchiladas before placing them on the serving dish). Just before serving, garnish with the crumbed cheese and finely sliced onions (and/or) basil. Prepare the salad with lettuce, spring mix. Add the diced tomatoes, diced cucumber and pieces of pineapple onto the salad. Cut the avocado and add it onto the salad or on the side. Makes 3-4 servings.

 

 

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Gateway Tofu: A re-introduction to an often misjudged dish

Posted on June 15, 2016 by vdominguez704

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Gateway Tofu by Kelly Baron
Story and Photos by Valerie Dominguez

Kelly Baron, Information Management Systems major, is a brilliant tech student with a savvy taste palate.

When not in school, Kelly works for a global tech-startup called S&P’s Capital IQ in New York. The company provides financial services to compete with the Bloomberg Terminal.

Far from home, Kelly says she loves St. Mary’s University’s community aspect and dedicated professors that teach here.

“The business school here is really good, and their MIS (management information systems) program is cutting edge.”

As demanding as school can be, Kelly always makes time to cook her own meals, and always from the best ingredients.

“I stick to a plant based diet. Whatever’s in season. I also like imported cheeses, cured meat, tofu and lentils”

Her New York roots have cultivated her culinary talents by surrounding her with the cultural diversity that resides there. Kelly says her favorite cuisine is Southeast Asian and Moroccan, but she is always interested in anything new.

She calls this particular dish Gateway Tofu because she says it’s a great intro for people that have never had tofu.

“It’s easy to make and is ready in 45 minutes. With some TV and a little wine, you’ve basically got the perfect set-up for a sweet date night. “

Kelly encourages those that have tried tofu before and not liked it to give it another shot.

“Poorly prepared tofu is the most common reason some people haven’t taking a liking to it. The best recipes come from the culture’s that have it the most. I recommend Ma Po Tofu for those starting out.”

Ingredients

  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 2 teaspoons mild honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound firm tofu, drained

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the onion, oil, vinegar, wine, dill, mustard, honey, and salt. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Slice the block 1/2 inch thick. You should get 12 pieces. Place the tofu slices in a baking dish that can hold them in a single snug layer. Pour the marinade over the tofu. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the marinade is no longer liquid, and the onions are crisp and caramelized. Serve as a vegetarian entree on top of a bed of lentils or rice. The tofu is great room temperature or warm.

From Big Girl Small Kitchen online, by Peter Berley.

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