To Everything There Is A Season - Campur Vegan Smoothies

To everything there is a season and the political season has begun in both the US and Guatemala. As a volunteer, I'm not allowed to comment on Guatemalan politics, though I will say that I hope for a fair and violence free election (same goes for the American election). As an American, I have free rein on American politics (I think), and I won't say much, but I will remind you of a time when needs of the poor were openly discussed by at least one party, political discourse was a bit more amiable and ideological purity was less important than having a functioning government that served everyone.


(When Liberals were Liberals)

Now back to the real point of this blog, food. It is currently mango, watermelon and avocado season here in Campur. Eaten separately, these fruits are amazing, but combined, they become super amazing. Adding cilantro and ginger to this recipe has health benefits as well, cilantro helps to take out toxins from the body and ginger has anti-fungal properties. They both add a bit of a punch to any drink mixture. It is best to use fruits that are extremely ripe (but not rotten), as their natural sugars will sweeten the smoothie. Also, a very sweet watermelon can takes the place of regular sugar and water. Add an avocado in place of milk, though it adds a weird color to the mix if the smoothie is left in the air too long.


(Doña Modesta - Her family sells the best watermelons in town, big and sweet for about 2 dollars)

Campur Vegan Smoothies





flesh of 1/2 of watermelon, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
2 bananas, peeled
2-3 large mangoes, peeled and seeded
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1-2 inches of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until all ingredients have been well processed.


(Please ignore the unmade bed in the background.)

Serves 8.

After 2 weeks of Procrastination - Beef Stir-Fry with Sesame-Ginger Sauce

After two weeks of procrastination, my house is finally clean enough to cook extravagant meals again. I know it sounds like pure laziness (because it is) but being away from one's house for two months can leave one overwhelmed, so I tackled the mess day by day, a little at a time. To celebrate, I invited Hannah and her visiting friend over for dinner following the Señorita de Campur contest (modeled after Ms. Universe) and made Beef Stir-Fry with Sesame-Ginger sauce.



The joy of stir fry is that you can add just about anything and as long as the sauce and the seasonings are right, it will come out perfect (PCV Rey Wike introduced me to the simplicity stir-fry in Granados, Baja Verapaz a few years back). The beef came from my host family's butcher shop and cost 2 dollars a pound, no matter what cut. The mushroom soy sauce was purchased at País (Walmart) and is very rich and thick in texture, providing awesome flavor to any marinade or sauce. I bought the ginger from a shop owner near the Catholic church who keeps a garden at her store and the 5-spice powder was sent down by a former co-worker (Hsiao-wen Whoo whoo!).



The key to stir-fry is having all the vegetables chopped and prepared to go onto the wok (I still haven't learned this lesson). Also, you should have enough bowls ready to be able to take food off the wok as well.

*I apologize for the lack of pictures and quality of food presentation. I just bought a camera, so I'll be able to go more in-depth with my pictures of food...as far as the quality of the food presentation, that will be a work in process. By the time I finish cooking, I'm normally starving and more concerned with how the food feels going down than how it looks.

Beef Stir-Fry with Sesame-Ginger Sauce

Beef Marinade

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
3 tablespoons of soy sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour
1 teaspoon of 5-spice powder
1 lb. of beef

Combine ingredients in a bowl and marinate covered while chopping vegetables and making stir-fry sauce.



Sesame-Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce

1/2 cup of chicken broth (consommé)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of panela (sugar)
1 tablespoon of flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
3 tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tablespoon of chile cobanero (red pepper flakes)
2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil

Heat oil in a small saucepan, adding ginger and chile cobanero. In a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients, except the sesame oil. Once ginger and chile have become fragrant, stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue stirring. When the mixture is thick and glossy, turn off the heat and stir in sesame oil.



Beef Stir-Fry

1 lb. of marinated beef
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and chopping into match sticks
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 carrots, peeled and slivered (with skin peeler)
2 large mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste



Heat the wok, adding oil and wiping the pan down with a paper towel so it is nicely greased. Keep oil on hand as you may need to add more throughout the cooking process. Add meat to wok and saute for 5 minutes. Be careful that the wok is not too hot, as the marinade will burn easily. Be sure to keep stirring the meat as well. Once cooked, remove meat and add peppers and onions. Saute until onions begin to become clear. Remove and add remaining materials, once cooked, (5 minutes) re-add all the ingredients and the stir-fry sauce. Serve over brown rice.

Serves 8.



Variations:

Any kind of meat or vegetable can be used, it all depends on your tastes and what is available in your local market.

Vegetarian: In place of meat, use 5 or 6 eggs, scrambling them in a bowl and adding them towards the end, along with the tomatoes and cilantro. Make an opening in the middle of the wok, pour scrambled eggs into that spot and stir them while they are cooking.

For the stir-fry sauce, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.