Do your kids run at the sight of verduras? Do they request grilled cheese sandwiches day after day? Tranquila. According to Chef Anthony Lamas, owner of Seviche restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, there are easy ways to sneak vegetables and “adult” ingredients into kids’ menu for the whole family. “Don’t be afraid to add flavors and textures, layered components are interesting to kids,” says Chef Anthony, father of two boys and winner of Food Network’s Extreme Chef title.

As a dad, Chef Anthony knows first-hand how tricky it can be to prepare healthy meals parents and kids will enjoy. The key is to take tired ingredients such as chicken, arroz and vegetables and add flavor so your palate will be pleased, and the kids will ask for seconds. Try adding these tricks and healthy recipes for kids to the kids’ menu at your house.

·         Start with whole pollo: Plan ahead and flavor with salt, water, sugar, onions, herbs and lemon zest and garlic. Let sit overnight and roast.

·         Experiment with rice: Add interesting and tasty textures such as dried cranberries, macadamia nuts, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds or zucchini.

·         Add appealing sabores: Sautéed onions, celery and carrot will add flavor to any dish, while giving kids their veggies. Kids may say they don’t like bland spinach, but it takes on a new taste flavored with lemon and garlic.

·         Include los niños: Have kids help you create a tasty homemade buttermilk dressing for salads or parsley flavored butter for corn. They’re sure to want to try their concoctions.

 

Soups and stews are a basic -- but healthy -- meal idea, and an easy way to incorporate oodles of meats, vegetables and healthy herbs without the kids catching on. Straight from his kitchen, Lamas shared his recipe for Albóndigas (small meatballs) stew.

Ingredients:

Ground beef chuck/round

3 ears of corn cut off cob

1 cup shredded cabbage

4 carrots cut into 1-inch rounds

4 celery stocks cut into 1-inch pieces

2 zucchinis cut into 1-inch rounds

1/2 onion chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon of garlic

3 bay leaves

1 cup cooked rice

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon ground oregano

1 gallon chicken stock

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Mix beef with rice and season with one tablespoon of salt, oregano, and a pinch of pepper. Make meat into three-ounce meatballs.

In a large pot, sauté onions, carrots and celery for two minutes. Then add garlic and remaining vegetables. Continue to sauté for two minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and add meatballs. Simmer for 15 minutes. Finally, garnish with a fresh squeeze of lime and a pinch of fresh cilantro.

Chef Anthony’s recipe calls for oregano and garlic, which both benefit your health. Find out why -- and other health-boosting ingredients -- here.

Host a party for El Dia de los Muertos the festive way, with these five tasty and easy cocktails recipes that will get the party started. “When creating a good cocktail for parties, make sure your flavors are consistent with the theme,” says Ion, head mixologist at Yerba Buena Avenue A. And don’t forget the green-slime guacamole and chips for guests to snack on.

Blood-red sangria

Sangria is not only an easily prepared crowd-pleasing cocktail, but also has an interestingly spooky meaning; this refreshing beverage’s literal Latin understanding translates to bleeding.

Orange, sliced thin

Lemon, sliced thin

Lime, sliced thin

Apple, sliced thin

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup triple sec

¼ cup brandy

1 bottle of dry red wine

Mix wine, brandy, triple sec, sugar in pitcher until sugar is dissolved. Add fruit and let chill for 2 to 4 hours.

Dark and stormy

Skip the “dark” rum for this spooky cocktail, and opt for a festive spiced option to add a little kick to your fiesta. Serving this fizzy libation in a goblet will add some ghoulish flair.

2 ounces spiced rum (can substitute for the true “dark” rum)

8 ounces ginger beer

Put ice in a highball glass. Add in rum and beer, and garnish with a lime.

Chocolate martini

An adult version of trick-or-treating goodies, this dessert cocktail is really paying homage to explorers of the Spanish Conquest. Chocolate has been used as a drink for centuries tracing back to one of its first recorded uses in Honduras, dating from about 1100 to 1400 BC.

Chocolate sauce or syrup (to dip rim of glass)

Sugar

2 ounces chocolate liqueur

1 ½ ounce vodka

Ice

Dip martini glass rim in chocolate sauce, then sugar. Fill shaker with ice, and add chocolate liqueur and vodka. Shake and pour into glass.

 

El Kookooee (The Boogeyman)

From Ion at Yerba Buena Avenue A: pumpkin spice adds a celebratory dimension to your cocktail list at any fall festivity.

Pisco

Rye whiskey

Pumpkin spice liqueur

Cordials and lime juice

Mix ingredients in shaker and pour into highball glass.

Bloody Maria

Put a Latin spin on the classic vodka cocktail by subbing-in spicy tequila for a bloody Maria.

1 ounce tequila

1 lemon wedge

4 ounces tomato juice

Squirt of lime juice

3 to 5 drops hot sauce

3 to 5 drop Worcestershire sauce

Celery stick for garnish

Dash of celery salt

Add ingredients to chilled shaker with ice. Mix ingredients and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with lemon wedge and celery.

If you’re tired of the oldies you’ve been cooking for years, now is the time to scan the globe for palate inspiration. Popular ingredients in Latin dishes are joining forces with those from Asia, India and France to create flavorful dishes with an exotic twist. Las Fabulosas serves up cooking tips and secret recipes for multicultural food from chefs and restaurateurs at Latin fusion restaurants.

Indian-Latin Fusion

“Mexican and Indian food are very similar,” says Alex Nagal, General Manager and partner at Tandoory Taco in Texas. “They utilize many of the same ingredients with great health benefits.” Nagal shared a “Tandoory Taco” recipe that blends the best of both worlds.

 

Chicken Tikka Tacos

Marinade for chicken:

½ cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste 

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, cut into large bite-sized chunks

Marinade the chicken for one hour. Set oven to 375 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes or until well cooked. Slice cooked chicken into thin strips.

Tikka Sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoon butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

3 tablespoon ginger-garlic Paste

1 Serrano pepper, minced

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons paprika

6 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup water

½ cup heavy cream

Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish

Add oil and butter to pot, and heat until melted. Add onions and Serrano pepper, and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for three minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the garam masala, paprika and salt and cook for three minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens for about five minutes.

Asian-Latin Fusion

“Latin and Asian foods complement each other with their similar repertoire of base flavorings such as onion, garlic and chilies,” says Eric McKamey, Chef de Cuisine at Masa 14 in Washington, D.C. McKamey shared a tasty recipe that incorporates the best of east and west.

Crispy shrimp and potatoes with chipotle-sesame aioli

1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Japanese Kewpie, but any will work)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons chipotle en adobo, chopped fine to a puree

1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

For sauce, whisk all together.

Canola oil (as needed)

1 pound shrimp, peeled, de-veined

¼ pound potatoes cut into pieces of similar size to shrimp

½ cup rice flour

½ cup cornstarch

Cold water (as needed)

Fine sea salt to taste

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, and cool to room temperature.

Heat oil in a high-sided pot to 350 degrees. Whisk rice flour and cornstarch together. Add cold water to bring to the consistency of heavy cream. Divide into two bowls. Add shrimp to one bowl to coat, potatoes to the other bowl to coat.

Using chopsticks, gently place items in hot oil, cooking in batches (about two minutes). They will be crispy to the touch, but because of the type of flour, will still maintain a very pale color. Transfer to paper towels to drain, seasoning with salt.

To Serve:

Lime Wedges

Kimchi

Serve the shrimp and potatoes as soon as it is coming out of the fryer. Pass along with the Chipotle-Sesame Aioli, with lime wedges and kimchi.

French-Latin Explosión

At French-Mexican fusion restaurant Paloma, in Philadelphia, “French sauces become exciting when made with chili peppers or mamey; filet mignon is served with a cappuccino-chipotle-red wine reduction sauce,” says Barbara Cohan-Saavedra, dessert chef at Paloma. Cohan-Saavedra shares a Mexican haute cuisine recipe.

Wild mushroom flan

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup cooked sliced wild mushrooms

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon finely chopped epazote (an herb, available dry or fresh in Mexican groceries)

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms in a little olive oil until cooked, for about five minutes. You should have about one cup of cooked mushrooms. Add heavy cream and epazote. Bring to a boil. Simmer for four to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a small bowl, add eggs and egg yolks. Beat with a whisk until well blended. Add the cream and mushroom mixture. Mix until well blended. Correct seasoning.

Set four medium-size ramekins in a bain-marie. Spray each ramekin with nonstick coating. Divide mixture among the ramekins. Add water to the bain-marie and bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. If serving immediately, unmold onto a warm plate and drizzle with cilantro pesto. To hold for later serving, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove plastic wrap and reheat in bain-marie or in a microwave at low to medium power. Then unmold, drizzle with the pesto, and serve.

The stats are startling. A mujer born in the United States today has a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer at some time during her life. According to the American Cancer Society, Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with larger tumors and late-stage breast cancer than white women. Researchers believe there might be a biological or genetic reason behind the differences between breast cancer in Hispanic and white women. But thanks to high-profile educational and fundraising events, such as the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure (with over 1.6 million participants in over 140 races annually), breast cancer awareness is at an all-time high. In honor of October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Las Fabulosas spoke to three breast cancer survivors for tips on detection, prevention and coping with the illness.

Breast Self -Examination

For Luisa Lavalle of Seattle, WA, a monthly breast self-examination was part of her routine. This allowed her to detect her breast cancer at a very early stage. “Because my cancer was detected so early, I ended up not having to get chemotherapy after the cancer was removed,” says Lavalle. As for making it through the trying times post- diagnosis, Lavalle made stress reduction her main priority. “For me, the best way to cope was to try to be realistic and to put emotions and drama on hold, and concentrate on how to move forward.” Indeed, recent research has shown that psychological stress can weaken the immune system, which can increase cancer cell growth.

Family History

Prior to her diagnosis, Michelle Marquez of the Bronx, NY knew to be extra vigilant about breast cancer, since her mother had passed away from the illness. “It helps tremendously to know whether you have immediate or distant family members who have suffered from cancer,” Marquez says. Statistically, a woman who has one immediate female relative with breast cancer has nearly twice the risk of a woman without a family history.

Early Detection

Rachel Galarza of Dallas, Texas was trying on a bathing suit for a winter vacation to Hawaii when she felt a small lump in one of her breasts, which turned out to be cancerous. Galarza, who was young, healthy and had no family history of cancer, was shocked by the diagnosis. “I didn’t think it could ever happen to me, but it did,” says Galarza. “I was lucky I caught the cancer when I did, since I never used to do breast self-examinations. All women should do monthly breast self-examination, no matter what their family history is.”

To find more information on the causes of breast cancer visit the American Cancer Society and for more information on what you can do to help find a cure, visit komen.org.

Buying a home is typically the biggest purchase anyone makes, which makes it the scariest, too. Las Fabulosas dug deep for must-know tips before jumping into the real estate game.

Plan Your Life First

Younger individuals and couples should plan -- when possible -- for life changes that may occur. “For young people, there are too many changes that happen initially to buy immediately,” says Andres Gutierrez, financial expert and host of The Andres Gutierrez Show. Career changes, marital status changes and having children can all affect your financial status.

Know Your Budget

Do not buy a home until you are 100 percent free of debt, including any loans. Once that is checked off, Gutierrez suggests this simple formula: Your mortgage shouldn’t be more than 25 percent of your take-home pay. Pay for the home with as much cash as possible, to avoid the rapidly rising interest rates. Also, try to use a 15-year mortgage, as opposed to 30. “Pay off your house before your newborn goes to college. Then use that payment toward their education,” he says. Remember to account for taxes and home insurance in your monthly budget. “The biggest mistake is buying more home than you can afford,” says Gutierrez.

Find a Trusting Agent

When interviewing real estate agents, ask the tough questions, “Learn their fortés, what they have sold in the past year, and ask to see their résumé,” says Sarah Carmona, agent at Dreams Realty in Nevada, who was listed as a top real estate agent by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. Your realtor should also understand your needs and wants. “Get on their multiple listings service to directly stay on top of the market,” says Carmona.

Prepare an Emergency Fund

Home ownership, versus renting, will always require repair and maintenance -- even with new constructions. “Have three to six months living expenses saved as an emergency fund,” suggests Gutierrez. The emergency fund accounts for small and large repairs, as well as the chance of a reduction in take home pay.

Don’t Rush

Remember, this is a huge purchase, so take it slowly. While the market is currently booming and houses are selling like pan caliente, it’s still important to play it safe and protect yourself. “Make sure you are preapproved before starting the house-hunting process, to know how much house you can afford,” says Carmona. “You don’t want to fall in love with a house you can’t afford.” Shop rates with several lenders -- not just one. Start with your bank and other bigger establishments, which Carmona says usually have lower closing fees. Once you make an offer, take time to follow necessary steps such as getting an inspection. You want to go in with your eyes wide open on what the actual costs will be.