June, 2017
Anita’s Most Delicious Homemade Venezuelan Cachapas (Fresh Corn Pancakes)

Ingredients for two Cachapas
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels
1/4 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cornmeal or harina pan venezolana (international aisles to find)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup fresh grated mozzarella cheese or (authentic queso mano)
Preparation
- Grind the yellow corn in a food processor or blender. Blend together yellow corn kernels, milk, sugar, cornmeal or harina pan, and butter until batter have thickened and well blended with a smooth consistency.
- Preheat a griddle or a cast iron pan over medium heat.
- Grease the griddle with a little butter (using a paper towel). Pour about a half cup measured or more of the batter creating a circle well even distributed.
- Cook Cachapas on one side for about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over. Cook for another 2 to 4 minutes on the other side until cheese has melted completely and cachapa is golden brown. Fold in half and spread butter over the top. Yumm!
Note: You can have this delicious Homemade Fresh Corn Cachapa typically served next to a delicious doll of Venezuelan Nata or creamy Mexican Sour Cream and “queso de mano” which can be substitute with mozzarella cheese. Enjoy!
Anita’s Best Ever Tuna Salad Sandwich

Ingredients
4 (6 ounces) cans water-packed tuna fish
2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
2 Tablespoon plain Yogurt
2 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
6 slices of toasted homemade bread(see recipe on my site)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 slices of Swiss cheese
6 slices of Roma tomatoes
Preparation
- Open and drain the tuna cans completely. Empty tuna fish into a bowl.
- Add mayo, yogurt, chopped celery, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients and break any tuna chunks with a fork until is all smooth.
- Toast bread slices, spread Dijon mustard over both sides of bread and place a slice of Swiss cheese on one side, and a piece of lettuce leaves on the other side.
- Place a generous amount of tuna salad on top of lettuce leaves.
- Place 2 tomato slices on top of tuna. Position other cheese and mustard bread slice on top. Enjoy!
Note: You can also enjoy this Tuna Salad recipe with some crackers as a fast and easy to make snack.
Anita’s best Shrimp and Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients
2 pounds large shrimps, cleaned and deveined
1 cup of shrimp broth
1 pound broccoli florets, steamed
1 onion, large diced
5 yellow or orange bell pepper, large diced
2 Tablespoon rice wine
1 1/2 Tablespoon low sodium soya sauce
2 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoon of peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup cooked black beans (see recipe on my site)
Preparation
- Combine in a medium-size bowl, rice wine, corn starch, shrimp broth, brown sugar and soya sauce. Mix well until all is well incorporated and corn starch has dissolved. Set aside.
- Use a wok and heat it over medium-high heat for about half a minute. Pour peanut oil carefully and add minced garlic and ginger. Add diced peppers and onions. Stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables become tender but crispy .
- Add cleaned shrimps and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes till they turn pink completely. Add shrimp broth mixture from Step-1 over shrimps and veggies. Stir all ingredients well and bring to a boil. Add cooked black beans. Lower the heat and let them simmer for about 3 minutes till sauce is a little dense and creamy. Add sesame oil. Stir and combine. Accompany with steamed rice. Enjoy!
Anita’s best Banana Tempura

Ingredients
3 large bananas
1/2 cup cake flour
1/3 cup of corn starch
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup chilled club soda water
vegetable or canola oil, for frying
2 cups of tempura flour
Preparation
- Peel and cut each of the bananas in three big pieces. Set aside.
- In a large pot, mix tempura flour with baking powder, and corn starch. Stir in club soda water until well incorporated, leaving the batter with a lumpy consistency.
- In a large pot, heat 3-4 inches of vegetable oil.
- Place cake flour in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Dust each piece of banana with the cake flour in all sides.
- Place dusted bananas into the tempura mix batter until well coated all around, and carefully fry them until lightly pale golden color and crisp for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove fried bananas and drain on kitchen towel paper.
- Served next to a delicious creamy vanilla ice cream. Yum!