Thanksgiving dessert recipes

If you don't like the idea of reading those articles about how not to gain weight during the holidays, then you just need to remember one simple thing: eat in moderation. It is OK to eat almost everything as long as you keep the overall calorie consumption during the day unchanged. If you still want to eat more calories, you can burn the extra calories by exercising more than usual.

And as I said about Thanksgiving side dishes, here is a nice video to try a slightly different set of dessert recipes.

Please use the Latin Diet Pyramid

Despite the Hispanic paradox, most Hispanics eat those delicious but deadly Latin dishes. The result: obesity and diabetes are widespread among them. That is not the way things used to be. In fact, during my travels to small towns in Latin America, I found that the food was fresher, healthier, and delicious, without the calories. In other words, the Latin people are cooking the wrong way.

Lorena and I have come up with healthier versions of almost all Latin dishes, but a group Latino Nutritional Coalition has put together not only a new Latin Diet Pyramid but has also produced an excellent guide to healthy eating.

While sponsored by food companies, the guide also has some healthy recipes for traditional Latin dishes.

Yes, you can go once in a while to Rosa Mexicano type restaurants, but if you are trying to eat right and be fit, then you will need to make significant changes in your diet.

Please, if you are a Latin person, download the Camino Magico guide for yourself and forward this page to others who might learn something from this guide.

How to eat healthy?

As a followup to our article "How to be healthy," we also wanted to share more tips that come from AP9 At Home Rewards. We follow all of them, except the one on eating garlic. While we love the flavor and occasionally use it for most of our Italian dishes, the flavor is a bit too much later on during the day/night. So our tip for garlic: avoid it on warm days and when you know you will be intimate.

• Use olive oil. An essential ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil contains polyphenols, the potent antioxidants that have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The extra-virgin is the best kind.
• Switch to brown rice. The taste is great, and it's a whole grain, which makes it an excellent source of fiber. Brown rice is also rich in vitamins, manganese, selenium and magnesium, elements that help produce energy, improve the health of the nervous system, and help reduce the risk of colon cancer. It's a little bit chewy but you will soon acquire the taste.
  
• Cut down on salt. At least cut salt in half in your daily cooking. The easiest way to cut it is to reduce the foods that may have a lot of salts already added, for instance, potato chips. The taste will not change noticeably, and your body will thank you. You can replace salt with garlic or onion powder, flavored vinegar or your own mix of garlic, onion, paprika and parsley flakes.
• Add garlic. Raw, crushed garlic is the best, so try to use it as often as possible. Garlic is full of antioxidant properties, which benefit the cardiovascular system most. Recent studies have also shown some weight-control properties, if eaten frequently.
• Boil and steam. Both cooking methods maintain flavor, color, and nutrients. Other great and low-fat options are roasting, stir-frying, poaching and grilling. Keep in mind that extended heat and liquid can destroy valuable nutrients of the meals you are preparing.
• Eat more fatty fish. Yes, salmon, herring and sardines are full of omega-3 fatty acids, a highly neuroprotective component. Add fish to your meals at least once a week if you want to aid the communication between nerve cells, improve your learning and memory skills, and reduce your risk of Alzeihmer's disease. Since I don't like most fish (I can only eat tilapia), I take supplements.
  
• Eat more veggies. Whenever possible, add vegetables to your meals throughout the day. The recommended quantity is five portions a day. Add new vegetables to the traditional soups, salads, stews and casseroles you prepare, and add veggie juice to the grocery-shopping list.

Rosa Mexicano New York restaurant review

One of the major challenges for anyone who wants to eat authentic cuisine (even if it does not taste familiar to our palates) is that it is so hard to find. For instance, what we call Chinse food is nothing like what the Chinese people eat (I am yet to go to China but have been to Hong Kong). The same applies to Mexican food. Food in Mexico is nothing like what you would find at a so-called Mexican restaurant.

There are exceptions, though, and therein lies the adventure. Indeed, we have horror stories of paying too much for bad food but we also have great memories. This time let me share our experience of eating lunch at Rosa Mexicano (we went to the one in New York but there are many locations nationwide now).

It is not your typical Mexican restaurant since it does not have that cheesy decoration you see in most ethnic restaurants. It is simple and contemporary. Maybe the rich colors give a hint but if you were eating Thai food there you would think the inspiration came from Thailand.

The main attraction of the restaurant is Guacamole en Molcajete (prepared tableside by your very own chef even if takes only a few minutes - see picture top left). It is delicious despite the price tag. For us, it was the appetizer since we love it with tortillas (see the photo on top right).

Lorena ordered chicken taco (pictured at the bottom) that are served in a cast iron skillet with salsas, salad, melted cheese, charro beans, and fresh corn tortillas. I wanted to eat something that is hard to find elsewhere so I chose Budín Azteca (pictured left) which is a layered tortilla pie with shredded chicken, Chihuahua cheese and poblano chile sauce.

The food was delicious with fresh ingredients, the service was excellent, and we were so full that there was no space for dessert. Strongly recommended.