Archive for the ‘Eliana’ Category
Kid Chef Eliana Cooks Belizean Chicken Recado Stew-Monday, December 6, 2010
12-6-10 Kid Chef Eliana cuts chicken for the Belizean chicken recado stew
Hey Young Chefs!
A couple of weeks ago, my family and I took a Carnival cruise in the Western Caribbean. Our cruise took us to to the countries of Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. While I was in Belize, I picked up a bunch of spices!
11-23-10 Kid Chef Eliana heads straight for the Belizean spices!
My family wanted to taste Belize again so we cooked a Central American meal of Belizean chicken recado stew. Recado is a ball of paste made of achiote seeds, which are red. You can see the little ball of recado in the top picture. If you are not careful, the recado can stain your hands so we wore food prep gloves.
12-6-10 Kid Chef Eliana mixes Belizean spices and Belizean jerk into the chicken
This is what achiote seeds look like.
12-6-10 Achiote seeds picture
My mom mixed the recado into chicken broth while I seasoned the chicken with Belizean jerk seasoning and Belizean all-purpose spice. We sauteed the chicken with onions, garlic, bell peppers, and celery then added the broth.
12-4-10 Kid Chef Eliana pours the recado broth over the sauteed chicken
The meal turned out soooo good! We ate the chicken recado stew (a taste of Belize) with coconut rice (a taste of Honduras), black beans (a taste of Central and South America), and snow peas with salsa verde (a taste of Mexico).
12-4-10 Belizean chicken recado stew, coconut rice, black beans and snow peas with salsa verde
Yum! Yum! Here is the recipe:
Belizean Chicken Recado Stew
Ingredients
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size chunks
1 ball of recado
1 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. Belizean all-purpose spice
1 tsp. Belizean Jerk spice
1/2 c. onions, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered and par-boiled
olive oil
Directions
Season chicken thoroughly with all-purpose seasoning and jerk spice. Mix recado into chicken broth. Over medium heat, Sautee onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic for 5-7 minutes. Add chicken and sautee’ until brown on both sides. Add recado broth. Add potatoes and cover. Let simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with steamed white rice or coconut rice. Serves 6-8.
I hope you enjoyed this!
Cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Book Signing: Kid Chef Eliana signs at Barnes & Noble in Baton Rouge-Saturday, December 4, 2010
12-4-10 Kid Chef Eliana signs cookbooks at Barnes & Noble Bluebonnet in Baton Rouge
Hey Young Chefs!
On Saturday, December 4, 2010, I had a book signing at Barnes & Noble on Bluebonnet in Baton Rouge. My mom performed The Gigantic Sweet Potato with Ms. Marita Gentry, her illustrator, and I got to sign my cookbook, Eliana Cooks!, next to my mom. It was fun and we had a nice crowd.
12-4-10 Kid Chef Eliana signs Eliana Cooks at Barnes & Noble
I look forward to more book signings! Join my Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/elianacooksfanpage for updates on upcoming events! You can also catch me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KidChefEliana
Hope to see you soon!
Cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Carnival Cruise Day 6-Cozumel, Mexico and Thanksgiving-November 25, 2010
11-25-10 Eliana and Abuela on a pedicab in Cozumel
Hey Young Chefs!
On our last excursion day, we docked in Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel is an island and the water there is so pretty.
11-25-10 Entering the last port - Cozumel, Mexico!
You would never catch me on a gator like this in Louisiana! LOL
11-25-10 Eliana tames a giant gator in Cozumel, Mexico
We went to San Francisco Beach Resort to have fun sunning and swimming in the clear Caribbean water.
11-25-10 Welcome to San Francisco Beach Resort!
The beach was so pretty – white sands and turquoise water!
11-25-10 Playa bella at the San Francisco Beach Resort in Cozumel, Mexico
On the beach, we saw a man with a squirrel monkey. He told my mom that it was from Panama and it was rescued and rehabilitated. It ate monkey food off the top of my mom’s head! hahaha
11-25-10 A squirrel monkey, rescued and rehabilitated
For lunch, I had tasty chicken quesadillas. Delicioso!
11-25-10 Kid Chef Eliana eats chicken quesadillas. Que delicioso!
After sunning and swimming all day, we went back to the ship. It was Thanksgiving and there was a Saints game on!
11-25-10 Headed back to the ship after a full day of sun, sand, surf and shopping in Cozumel
The Saints won against Dallas…
11-25-10 The Saints won the Saints v. Dallas game on Thanksgiving and Saints fans rocked the boat!
… and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on the ship!
11-25-10 Elegant Eliana at Thanksgiving dinner
It was sad to leave our last port but I am so inspired by the food, the culture, and the memories!
11-26-10 Smile for the family Christmas picture!
Cool kids cook and cruise!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Carnival Cruise Day 5-Roatan, Honduras-Wednesday, November 24, 2010
11-24-10 Antonio, Dianne, Soleil & Eliana in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras
Hey Young Chefs!
On Day 5 of our Carnival Cruise, we stopped in Roatan, Honduras. I was so excited about this port because I am part Honduran. We decided to take an excursion to Maya Key, a small island off Roatan with a wildlife conservatory and a replica of the Copan Mayan Ruins.
11-24-10 Auntie Erly, Trina, Jasmynn, Josie, Eliana & Camrynn on the boat to Maya Key, Roatan, Honduras
When I got to the pier, I caught this cool picture of a plane soaring overhead.
11-24-10 A sillhouette of an airplane flying over head
Mom, Dad, my cousin, Camrynn, and I visited the the ruins first, before swimming. Along the way, we saw beautiful macaws, colorful like rainbows. Wow!
11-24-10 Two macaw birds fighting
Next, my cousin, Camrynn, and I took a picture by a Mayan statue.
11-24-10 Camrynn and Eliana pose next to a Mayan figure on Maya Key, Roatan, Honduras
It was cool to see the ruins even though they weren’t in ruins. LOL
11-24-10 Soleil, Antonio, Dianne & Eliana in front of the replica of the Copan Ruins, Maya Key in Roatan, Honduras
Here I am in front of another Mayan structure.
11-24-10 Eliana in front of a replica of a Mayan structure
After visiting the museum and the ruins, it was time to go swimming! I snorkeled too, in crystal clear water where I could really see the beautiful coral and colorful fish.
11-24-10 Jasmynn, Soleil, Ashlynn, Camrynn & Eliana swim in the Maya Key waters, Roatan, Honduras
I also had fun collecting sea shells and coral for my mom.
11-24-10 Eliana collects a handful of shells and coral from Maya Key in Roatan, Honduras
For lunch, I ate some delicious island food, just like my Abuela makes!
11-24-10 Kid Chef Eliana eats coconut rice and beans, Honduran barbecue and fried plaintains
After having fun on Maya Key, it was time to go back to Roatan. We hopped on the same boat and zipped back, arriving with enough time for shopping. Abuela is from Honduras so my dad was so excited to find handicrafts to bring home to represent his heritage.
11-24-10 Honduran shopkeepers with carved wooden masks
After a full day in Honduras, it was time to head back to the ship for dinner. Look at this gorgeous island sunset!
11-24-10 The sun sets in pretty Honduras...
I loved dining in the London Dining room for dinner. For dinner, I had a delicious spiced chicken with roasted cauliflower and cheesy peas.
11-24-10 Spiced chicken with roasted cauliflower and fresh peas
And even though I had a very full day, I still danced when the dinner dance number came on! The fun never stops on a cruise ship! 
11-24-10 Even after a full day of sunning, swimming and snorkeling, Eliana joins the dinner dance number!
I loved all that fun in the sun! Cool kids cook and cruise!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Carnival Cruise Day 4-Tuesday 23, 2010
Hey Young Chefs!
Day three was a relaxation day for me, so nothing special happened that day, but day four was an exciting and tiresome day. We went to Belize City, Belize.
11-23-10 - A house in Belize
On that day we stopped at a local market and bought Belizean spices. The spices look so yummy!
11-23-10 Kid Chef Eliana heads straight for the Belizean spices!
First, we went cave tubing. We had to wear head lamps on our foreheads because some parts of the cave were so dark. Here is my cousin Ashlynn with her head lamp on.
11-23-10 My cousin, Ashlynn dons her headlamp for the caves. Look at the size of the inner tubes behind her!
The river water was freezing! The kids went across the river first and held on to a rope. Then, they gave us our inner tubes. We all had to walk on a trail through the rain forest. Look at the beautiful rain forest.
11-23-10 Amazing rock formations in the Belizean rain forest
Here we are cave tubing down the river. The water was cold but we had to get used to it! Brrr.
11-23-10 Dion guides us with ease... backwards!
It was fun cave tubing. After cave tubing, we went ziplining! I had to wear a helmet, belt harness, hooks, and gloves. It was very heavy. We had a little lesson and then off we went, ziplining through the rain forest! Here is me ziplining like a pro. LOL!
11-23-10 Eliana zips across on the practice line
Look at my dad ziplining. On the longest zipline my dad was trying to be like Tarzan. It was funny.
11-23-10 Antonio breezes in on the zipline
When we finished ziplining we had lunch. I ate Belizean barbecue chicken, platanos (sweet fried ripe plaintains), congri (rice and beans), and a tortilla. Delicioso!
11-23-10 Kid Chef Eliana eats rice and beans, Belizean barbecued chicken, and a homemade tortilla
When lunch was over we went back on the ship to our cabins and took a nap. Then, we had to wake up and get ready for dinner. Didn’t get to pictures of dinner, sorry. I forgot my camera in my cabin. I’m so mad at myself! It tasted wonderful.
Cool Kids Cook and Cruise!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Carnival Cruise Day 2-Sunday, November 21, 2010
11-21-10 What a beautiful couple! Mom hand beaded her dress with pearls and rhinestones.
Hey Young Chefs!
On November 21st my Nana and Paw Paw renewed their vows on the Carnival Cruise! It was a gorgeous vow renewal. Here is a picture of all the grandchildren, including me, waiting for our turn to walk down the aisle.
11-21-10 The grandchildren process down the aisle for the vow renewal ceremony
(Left to right) Jasmynn, me, Camrynn, Ashlynn, Jourdan, and finally Soleil. We walked down the aisle for Nana. Here is mommy walking Nana down the aisle. Isn’t that sweet?!
11-21-10 Mom had the privilege of walking my Nana down the aisle
After the vow renewal was over, we had the wedding reception. Nana and Paw Paw cut the cake together. There was a lot of food, but we still hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so we didn’t eat a lot. They had fruit, lamb empanadas, egg rolls, and chicken nuggets with a zesty honey mustard. The food was delicious!
11-21-10 I wish you could see how intricately the fruit was carved. Gorgeous!
After the vow renewal, we went to dinner. For the entree I ate my first lobster! It tasted awesome. It also came with shrimp.
11-21-10 Kid Chef Eliana eats her first lobster!
As for dessert, I had the Warm Melting Chocolate Cake. I’m so mad that I didn’t take a picture because it was the best dessert. After dinner we went to our cabins because we were exhausted. We were knocked out! That was a fun night.
Cool Kids Cook and Cruise!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Carnival Cruise Day 1 at Sea-Saturday, November 20, 2010
11-20-10 On board the Carnival Triumph with our Sign & Sail Cards
Hey Young Chefs!
During the Thanksgiving holiday week I went on a Carnival Cruise to Belize, Honduras, and Mexico! It was exciting. I ate a lot of tasty food, had some thrilling adventures, and had the time of my life. (Sing Fergie!) LOL
11-20-10 Taking a picture before we set sail, with New Orleans as our backdrop
We were on the Carnival Triumph. It was my first time on a cruise ship. Boy, was it BIG. On the Lido Deck (Floor 9), there was a humongous screen for an outdoor theater; 4 swimming pools and 5 Jacuzzi tubs; a basketball court; and a putt putt golf course.
11-20-10 Paw Paw enjoys putt putt golf with my cousins, Ashlynn & Camrynn on the top deck of the ship
The view from the top deck was amazing. Here is a picture of the city of New Orleans. Pretty!
11-20-10 A picture of the city of New Orleans from the aft of the top deck of the Carnival Triumph
After the ship set sail, we had dinner and then we went to a family dance party at the Hollywood Dance Club. We even learned a new dance called “The Wobble.” It’s so much fun!
11-20-10 My mom, my cousins and I dance at a family dance party in the Hollywood Dance Club. We learned a new dance called the Wobble!
It was a fun ending to a great first day on the Carnival Triumph. More to come!
Cool Kids Cook and Cruise!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Dia de Los Muertos Altar for Jaime Casas – Tuesday, November 2, 2010
11-2-10 Dia de Los Muertos Altar project for Spanish
Hey Young Chefs!
I wanted to show you a cool project that I did for my Spanish class. I had to create a “Dia de Los Muertos” altar for a deceased family member. “Dia de Los Muertos” means “Day of the Dead.” It is a Latino tradition to create an altar that memorializes and celebrates the life of a loved one who died. I chose to honor my grandfather, Jaime Casas, who passed away on July 9, 2008. I called him “Papi.”
A “Dia de Los Muertos” altar typically has food, flowers, candles, personal items, clothing, and colorful candy skulls. It is celebrated between October 31 and November 2. Here is what the items on my altar symbolize:
Left Side of the Board
• Café con Leche Cuban Salsa CD – Symbolizes Papi’s love of dancing
• Maraca – Symbolizes Papi’s love of Latino music like salsa & merengue
• Pink and blue skull with tiara – My sister, Soleil and I, made the skull by hand out of clay. It symbolizes his two “princessas,” his granddaughters.
Middle of the Board
• Tinsel Star – Inside the star is a photo of my Papi on a chair. You can’t see me but I was sitting next to him.
• Palm tree, sand & sea shells – Symbolizes the island country of his birth, Cuba
• Mojo Criollo label – Symbolizes his love of cooking. Mojo is a Latino marinade. He loved cooking black beans, ropa vieja, tostones, yucca, and sandwich Cubano.
• Gold fleur de lis – Symbolizes his love of New Orleans, the city he lived in since exiling from Cuba in 1960
• Vase of colored lollipops – Symbolizes his love of dulces (sweets)
• Party blower – Symbolizes Papi’s love of parties, especially birthdays and big family gatherings
• Rosary – Papi was Catholic and was buried with a special family rosary.
• Large photo – The large photo of my Papi was copied from his funeral program
Right Side of the Board
• Family photo – Papi loved his family more than anything. We always had dinner together and celebrated holidays together with my dad’s parents and my mom’s parents. The picture was taken on Mother’s Day 2009.
• Butterfly – I made the butterfly from a clothes pin and a coffee filter. It symbolizes Papi’s transformation and flight to heaven.
• Postcard, business card, and picture of Eliana eating a Cuban Sandwich – Papi did not live long enough to see my cookbook come out. I dedicated it to him. He would be so proud.
Candles
There are three kinds of candles on the altar.
• Tall blue candle in the middle of the altar
• Multi-colored candles in the middle of the altar that spell out my Papi’s name, J-A-I-M-E
• Big candle with blue skull at the bottom of the altar
Maybe you can create a “Dia de Los Muertos” altar for someone you love who passed away. It’s a great way to remember them and celebrate their life.
Get creative!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
Eliana Cooks! Cookbook Proofs – Tuesday, September 7, 2010
9-8-10 Eliana's Cooks cookbook cover and title page
Hey Young Chefs!
A few days ago, I received the cookbook proofs from Morris Press Cookbooks. My mom, dad and I reviewed the proofs to check for mistakes and typos. There were were a lot of errors we had to correct. Above, you can see the mock-up of the front cover and the title page.
Then we packed the cookbook proofs and went to the UPS Store to overnight it back to Morris Press Cookbooks. It cost $47 to ship it! Holy Cannoli! Below is a picture of the back of the cookbook and one of the interior divider pages. The cookbook is divided into sections: Appetizers and Beverages, Soups and Salads, Veggies and Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads and Rolls, Desserts, Cookies and Candy and last but not least, This and That.
-8-10 Eliana's Cooks cookbook back and interior divider
I am so excited about my cookbook. I can’t wait for it to debut on October 9. When my cookbook is available, you can order it from my online store. I hope you are as excited as I am!
Cool Kids Cook and get Creative in the Kitchen.
Bon Appetit, Eliana
Creating Eliana’s Sabor All-Purpose Seasoning – Sunday, September 5, 2010
9-5-10 Kid Chef Eliana with her Sabor Seasoning
Hey Young Chefs!
Today, I created sample packets of my new all-purpose seasoning called “Eliana’s Sabor.!” “Sabor” means “flavor” in Spanish. Sabor! has paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and other spices. It’s a perfect blend of spices to use on any kind of food whether you’re cooking or seasoning at the table.
9-5-10 Mixing the Sabor
Eliana’s Sabor! is great on meat, potatoes, eggs and in all your savory dishes. I developed the recipe for this seasoning blend when I was 8 years old! My family and I use it in our cooking all the time. They always ask me to make it when we run out! Here’s a little secret: it was previously named “Eliana’s Magic Seasoning Blend” but “Magic Seasoning” was already used by another famous chef on his spice! So we changed the name and I love it! It’s so awesome!
Eliana's Sabor Seasoning
Everyone who buys my new cookbook, Eliana Cooks! Recipes for Creative Kids, will receive a free sample of Eliana’s Sabor! My spice blend will be available for sale here when my cookbooks arrive in October.
Cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!
Bon Appetit, Eliana
