Fun in the sun – Amaranth fish tacos with mango sauce

Posted on March 31, 2015 by petitedecadence

It’s already been 8 days since spring officially started, and oddly enough I spent most of my weekend curled up with a book and a glass of wine, reading by the window because there was hardly any sun, and it poured cats and dogs most of saturday and all of sunday. Not that I’m complaining, rainy weather is my favourite kind. In my opinion, summer is a month (or two) too long here in Mexico. But spring is my second favorite. Because spring means seafood, rosé and sunny terraces. And light dresses and a friendly sun, not a scorching-I-feel-menopausic-one. And that’s exactly why I prepared this recipe for the weekend, because it’s the perfect meal to enjoy on this time of the year. It’s fresh, mexican, delicious, and healthy.
I’ve raved about amaranth as a substitute for breading before, right here, and this time I won’t do it again. Instead I’ll rave about the colourful, yummy combination that’s purple cabbage, with avocado, cilantro and different favoured tortillas. But as if all of those together weren’t enough, why not top it off with a scrumptious spicy mango sauce? Still not enough? Then a second, creamy labneh and cilantro dressing will make absolutely everyone happy. You can dress your tacos with either of the sauces, or as one of naughty guests did, mix them both in the same taco! However you eat them, make sure you have plenty of tortillas, because you’ll probably end up having one too many tacos. (As is usually the case with tacos, of any kind)
Recipe after the jump.

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Pack a punch – Almond cocoa energy squares

Posted on July 15, 2014 by petitedecadence

My ankle (which has been out of order on and off this whole year) is finally healing a little bit. Which means I can start running again. And even though I haven’t done more than 20 minutes on the treadmill and I’m not allowed to jump yet (I know. It’s catastrophic) I can make energy bars. These delicious little squares will satisfy your morning sweet tooth while giving you a full energy boost; they’re made of oats, which are a great source of slow-release energy and fiber. Almonds, your classic super food (is there any body system they’re not good for?). Raisins, full of the good kinds of sugar to give you an up and which also help absorb vitamins and proteins, along with promoting a healthy digestive system. Flaxseed, also for great digestion but adding omega-3 and tons of other good side-effects such as fighting liver disease and lowering cholesterol. Cocoa powder, which is suspected of boosting endorphins and serotonin (aka, make you happy!) apart from being highly antioxidant. Wrap all of these up with some honey (which has, apart from all it’s other properties, been proven to increase athletic performance and reduce recovery time) and you get ultra healthy, sugar free bites of delicious fitness. I cut up mine small because I like bite-sized things, but feel free to turn these into bars to take on the go, or to add some protein powder! Read more for the recipe.

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For a lack of summer – Octopus and green tomato carpaccio

Posted on June 10, 2014 by petitedecadence

As I have stated many times before, one of my favorite things to do is sit on nice, sunny terrasses, sharing a few glasses of wine on a sunny afternoon along with some seafood, in good company. Mexico city has plenty of these kind of places, and the weather is usually mild and sunny and all around perfect for it. But this year we had about two weeks of this… the rest has been intermittently rainy (and don’t get me wrong, I do love rainy weather, but nothing spoils a good carpaccio like having it flooded) and sparingly cold. So those sunny afternoons have been quite scarce… and so has been the time spent in the kitchen making ceviche or salads. But nevertheless, I’ll share with you this delicious recipe; an octopus and green tomato carpaccio, with a delicious avocado and spearmint purée. If you can’t have it outside, with a glass of rosé (as would be ideal) it’s still delicious, fresh, and light. A perfect hors d’oeuvre, or a good entrée. It’s an original dish, and the purple and green ingredients look striking together. And the best part, it takes about 15 minutes to have it ready! And you can keep it in the fridge if you make it ahead of time. Tempted? Read more for the recipe! Continue reading →

Settle back in – Meatballs with quinoa and yogurt kale sauce

Posted on May 27, 2014 by petitedecadence

My life’s been hectic as of the last three weeks. Tons of things have changed. For starters I’ve quit my job! (I would love to insert those whatsapp monkey emojis here) And then my sister got married! (Clapping hands emoji?) Ok I’ll stop with the emojis in lieu of actually describing stuff. The wedding was awesome but it took about two full weeks of my life in which I did nothing that wasn’t related to the event. Between helping out with the invitations, organizing a junk food/pastry buffet table, and managing to survive bridezilla and my mom fighting 20/7 and the ensuing roller-coaster of emotions, I’ve hardly had time to deal with my professional life. Let alone cook! But I’m a full time freelance designer again… and that means that while I find my footing again I can get back in the kitchen as often as I please. (And as you all know full well, baking cookies pleases me a lot. And so do brownies and nutella and bread). But I’ll get back on the horse with a quite healthy recipe which looks like a lot of trouble but actually isn’t! And which tastes like you’re having something super rich but is actually quite light! It’s meatballs, over quinoa, over zucchini, covered in a yogurt-kale sauce. (I know, quite the hipster combo of ingredients. Just don’t go drinking beer along with it). While the yogurt-meatball combo doesn’t sound so appealing, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! They actually compliment each other incredibly well, turning usually heavy meatballs into something way lighter. Interested? Read more for the recipe! Continue reading →

Ultra yummy – Ultra protein kale and portobello soup

Posted on March 19, 2014 by petitedecadence

Even though I’ve been MIA for a while, I’ve been cooking tons. I’ve just been really busy and haven’t found a way to be a quick efficient cook who also jots down everything as she goes along. And then I keep forgetting the recipes for everything I make, mainly because I don’t usually don’t do recipes, I just throw stuff together and hope for the best. Unless I’m coming to post something here of course. Which is the case with this yummy, healthy soup. (And about time I posted something healthy, too. I just browsed my latest posts and it’s all sugar or bread or cookies…. *not ashamed*) But more on the subject of the soup; it’s filling, nutritious and super yummy. And not only that, its absolutely brimming with protein and flavor. Which means that you can have it as your sole course for lunch or dinner. To me it also means that whenever I don’t want to actually cook (now I am ashamed. Its true, sometimes, some rare times, I don’t want to cook) and I have this soup in the fridge….all my problems are solved! Because I can go for a two hour workout and have it for dinner and get everything I need in one bowl. (A particularly nice feeling when you can’t move your arms from lifting but you’re also craving something delicious, trust me)
This soup is made from moyashi, (soybean sprouts) kale, portobello mushrooms and chicken. But the veggies all by themselves pack a huge punch, so if you want to skip the chicken and make it vegan, it’s also a great option! (you dont even need chicken stock, the mushrooms will do that for you). Aaaaaand the cherry on top of the cake? It takes less than half an hour to make! Interested yet? Continue reading →