All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

One of my favorite recipes published on this website is the Guacamole Romano.

To make this appetizer even more exciting, why not spread the guacamole on toasted Flaxseed Bread with Honey and Sesame Seeds (previously published on this website). Add some chopped tomatoes and you’ve just prepared a highly nutritional appetizer. You can even enjoy this fun food for breakfast or lunch.

Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 yellow tomato, pulp discarded and tomato cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 red tomato, pulp discarded and tomato cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 to 10 slices Flaxseed Bread with Honey and Sesame Seeds, toasted
One Guacamole Romano recipe
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes; toss in a little salt, to taste, and set aside.

2. Spread a heaping tablespoon of guacamole on each toast.

3. As you prepare each toast, set it on a serving platter.

4. When all toasts have been spread with guacamole, divide the chopped tomatoes and top them evenly over the toasts.

5. Garnish toasts with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

These oatmeal power bars are a fun treat to make for that Halloween bash! One look at the ingredients and you’ll approve – no sugar or flour. These bars are so scrumptious and healthy that you won’t have to stop reaching for a second, third, fourth … Happy Halloween!

Prep time: 15 to 18 minutes
Bake time: 10 to 12 minutes
Makes: 24 bars

Ingredients:
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted, slivered almonds
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
2/3 cup raisins
Dash salt

Toast the Oatmeal:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place oatmeal in an 18 X 12-inch rectangular baking sheet.

3. Toast the oatmeal for about 5 minutes.

4. After 5 minutes, stir the oatmeal – this prevents blackening at the edges of baking sheet.

5. Toast the oatmeal for an additional 5 minutes; stir once more.

6. When oatmeal has turned light golden brown, it is done.

7. If needed, toast the oatmeal for an additional 2 minutes. Set oatmeal aside in baking sheet to cool on counter.

8. Keep oven constantly heated at 350°F.

Prepare the Syrup:
1. In a 1-quart sauce pot, heat together the peanut butter, honey, maple syrup and vanilla until mixture is warm and runny; set it aside.

2. In a 2-quart mixing bowl, combine the toasted oatmeal, almonds, sesame seeds, raisins and salt.

3. Gently stir in the warm syrup mixture until all ingredients are combined.

4. If the mixture is too loose and grainy, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons maple syrup to combine and amalgamate the ingredients.

5. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Transfer the oatmeal mixture to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. With wet hands, pat the mixture to form an 11 X 7-inch rectangle in center of sheet.

8. Using a knife, gently cut the oatmeal mass into 24 bars.

9. Bake the oatmeal bars for 10 to 13 minutes or until they turn golden brown.

10. Set oatmeal bars aside in baking sheet to cool completely.

11. When bars are cool, carefully cut through the squares to loosen them. Serve immediately or store the oatmeal bars in a glass jar in refrigerator.

12. Halloween oatmeal bars will keep, refrigerated, up to two weeks.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

This bread gets its sweet, nutty texture from the honey, sesame seeds and flaxseed meal. If you guessed that it’s healthy, you’re right. Since you make your own bread, you know exactly what wholesome ingredients you put into it. Enjoy this bread with any meal. Alternatively, slice the bread, toast it and serve it with butter and preserves at breakfast.

Active prep time: 30 minutes (mixing and assembling dough)
Inactive prep time: 50 to 60 minutes (two dough risings)
Bake time: 25 to 30 minutes
Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon or 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast® dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water and set aside to rise for 10 minutes
5 cups organic, unbleached, all-purpose, white flour
¾ cup flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Combine 4 cups of the flour with the flaxseed meal and salt in a large, shallow bowl, forming a well in the center.

2. Pour in the risen yeast and water mixture, olive oil, honey, sesame seeds and the water.

3. Using a fork, mix wet ingredients until combined.

4. With a fork, gently begin mixing in flour from the sides of the well, a little at a time.

5. Each time you mix in some flour, make sure to blend it well into the wet ingredients.

6. Keep incorporating flour from the sides of well in small amounts, until you have formed a soft dough.

7. If dough is too wet and sticky, add flour in small amounts until the dough is uniform and you can grab it. It should be soft and smooth.

8. With lightly floured hands, gently knead the dough inside the bowl, adding small amounts of flour, until it is smooth and elastic.

9. Set dough aside on floured surface while you oil the bowl. Return dough to the oiled bowl and cover it with aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel. Set the dough aside for 30 minutes to rise.

10. After 30 minutes, punch down the dough in center.

11. Lift dough out of bowl and, with an oiled knife, cut it into two equal pieces.

12. Shape each piece into an oval loaf.

13. Place loaves, crosswise and spaced apart by 4 inches, on an oiled 18 x 12-inch baking sheet.

14. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon untoasted sesame seeds.

15. Cover the dough with an oiled sheet of aluminum foil and let it rise for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Bake the Bread Loaves:
1. After 20 to 30 minutes, preheat oven to 400°F.

2. When oven is preheated, place the baking sheet with bread dough on rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

4. After baking for 25 minutes, test the doneness of bread loaves by lifting the bottom with a spatula. If bottoms are golden brown, the loaves are done. If not, bake for 5 more minutes.

5. Serve bread warm. Alternatively, this bread can be stored in plastic food bags in refrigerator for up to two weeks. It can be sliced and toasted.

6. Optional: When bread has cooled completely, one or two loaves may be frozen up to one month in double freezer plastic bags.

7. To Thaw Frozen Bread: Remove bread from freezer bags; set on a wood board or cutting board to thaw at room temperature for 3 hours.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

This chicken recipe is from Mexico. It seems impossible to find this dish in a local Mexican (Los Angeles). My friend, Lina, introduced the recipe to my husband, Victor. Yes – you guessed it – he’s the one who makes this dish and I get to sit and enjoy it.

And so, I decided to try my hand at this recipe and it turned out delicious. You should try it, too!

Prep time: 35 to 45 minutes (includes 15-minutes for tomatillos to cool)
Serves: 4 to 6

For the Tomatillo Sauce:

2 pounds tomatillos (12 to 14 count), husks discarded
1 jalapeño or red chili pepper, stem and seeds discarded
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Wash the tomatillos and place them in a 4-quart sauce pot.

2. Bring the tomatillos and the jalapeño or red chili to a boil.

3. Boil the tomatillos and chili for 5 to 8 minutes or until they are soft.

4. Carefully drain the tomatillos, taking care not to let them burst; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

5. After 15 minutes, transfer the cooked tomatillos to a blender.

6. Remove stem from chili and add the flesh to the tomatillos in blender.

7. Add the garlic and salt to tomatillo-chili mixture in blender; puree the mixture until it is smooth.

8. Taste the tomatillo sauce and adjust salt level; set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken:

For the Chicken:

1/4 cup vegetable oil (safflower or sunflower oil preferred)
2/3 cup chopped white or brown onion
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into 2 to 3-inch chunks
Salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil.

2. When oil is hot but smokeless, add the chicken chunks; stir fry on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken turns white.

3. Stir in the onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until it becomes translucent.

4. When onion is translucent, pour the reserved tomatillo sauce over the chicken mixture in skillet.

5. Simmer the chicken on medium-low heat for about 25 to 30 minutes or until it is cooked through.

6. Taste and add, if needed, add salt.

7. Serve Chicken in Tomatillo Sauce immediately with steamed white or brown rice.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real

Need to kick up organic spinach so that it tastes awesome?

First, add some “heat” to onions by sautéing them with fresh chiles in extra virgin olive oil. Next, toss in the spinach. In minutes, you’ve created a hot and spicy side dish for meat, poultry or fish. Alternatively, enjoy Organic Spinach with Onion Heat atop some toasted Italian bread.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 brown or white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 fresh, red or green hot chile, sliced
12 ounces organic, baby spinach leaves, washed and spun-dry
salt, to taste

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil on medium-high setting.

2. When oil is hot, add the onion and chile; stir-fry until onion is translucent and light golden.

3. Toss in the spinach leaves.

4. Using tongs, gently mix to bring the onion slices to the surface of the spinach.

5. Stir-fry, constantly mixing with tongs, on medium-high heat just until the spinach has wilted and barely looks cooked.

6. Add salt, to taste. Serve immediately.
Text and Photograph ©2015 Nancy DeLucia Real