Eco-Rico Valentine Recipes

In time for Valentine’s Day, Decisive Latino brings your tantilizing recipes by Giselle Achecar, founder of the new Eco-Rico.com and EcoRico TV. Achecar provides three aphrodisiac-rich, organic recipes designed to rev up your love life. The Puerto Rican-born and Ivy-league educated Achecar is passionate about delicious, nutritious earth-friendly food: On EcoRico TV she hosts a cooking show, creating healthy island-inspired recipes using organic, Fair Trade ingredients. The Eco-Rico company mission is to educate and entertain people about the benefits of leading an eco-friendly life with Latin flair.

For a steamy Valentine’s Day, indulge in Achecar’s eco-licious, nutrient-rich three-course menu. Start with the Six Aphrodisiac Salad made with arugula, avocado, red pepper and toasted pine nuts topped with a honey, lemon, garlic dressing. Loaded with chlorophyll, arugula cleanses and energizes the blood, bringing oxygen to the body, including the sex organs. Known to Native Americans as the Viagra of their day, pine nuts are a zinc powerhouse and testosterone booster.

Shrimp that is hand-fed to your lover makes a great main dish, especially when marinated in Eco-Rico’s delicious “adobo” seasoning, oranges and lemon juice. Achecar recommends buying domestic instead of imported shrimp, as imported shrimp are washed and frozen with STPP, a known neurotoxin and sure-fire romance killer.

Achecar’s chocolate pudding makes for a sensual dessert. With over 300 identifiable chemical compounds, cacao is one of the most complex and satisfying foods on earth. However, to reap its sexual health benefits, eat dark chocolate with over 70 percent cacao. Achecar’s recipe uses delicious dark chocolate and coconut flesh for a luscious pudding, which she pairs with tropical fruits. To learn about which fruits to buy organic, visit http://eco-rico.com/2011/01/17/ecotip-what-to-buy-organic. All recipes are available at www.eco-rico.com/recipes.

Eco-Rico donates 5 percent of its profits, one percent each to the following organizations: Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders and one percent For the Planet.
For more information, visit www.eco-rico.com.

SIX APHRODISIAC SALAD
(pictured above)
Arugula, avocado, red pepper, toasted pine nuts with honey, lemon, garlic dressing
(as seen in EcoRico Ep. 001 http://eco-rico.com/ecoricotv/)

I eyeball and taste my food ‘til it's right. But, in the spirit of guidance, I'll give basic measurements.

SALAD
As with all ingredients, please buy organic, locally grown produce. If you can’t find organic, try your best to buy local.

One bag of organic baby arugula
One large red bell pepper
Two medium or one large avocado (I usually use more!)
Half a cup of toasted pine nuts (you can use raw, but I like CRUNCH!)

PINE NUTS
Toasting pine nuts is simple and fun. You have two choices.
Oven: Spread the raw pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes at 350° til slightly golden.
Stovetop: Put raw pine nuts in non-stick sauté pan, toast over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

HONEY, LEMON, GARLIC DRESSING

Extra virgin olive oil
Honey
One organic lemon
1 clove of garlic
Sea salt (I use ancient sea salt cause I like the minerals)
Fresh ground pepper

In bowl, pour extra virgin olive oil, garlic, the juice of ½ the lemon, honey, sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Mix it well. Taste and make adjustments!! Use the other half lemon as needed.

Pour dressing over salad. Toss, sit back and enjoy this deliciousness!

MARINATED BOILED SHRIMP

Sometimes you just need something simple, quick and yummy. These shrimp make a great appetizer or entrée with corn on the cob and a salad. For Valentine’s, hand-feed them to your honey. So versatile!

The secret? The marinade. You gotta have flava, baby.

Extra virgin olive oil
Oregano
Organic lemon
Option: fresh orange juice
Gigi’s adobo (all purpose seasoning – garlic, ancient sea salt, turmeric, oregano)
Option: fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper.
Salt-free Fajita seasoning

Wash shrimp really well. I recommend using domestic shrimp instead of imported shrimp. See my Eco-tip “Buy Domestic Seafood” to learn why imported shrimp is not healthy (http://eco-rico.com/ecoeatz/).

Pat shrimp dry. Put in deep bowl.
Pour olive oil over shrimp. Squeeze a lemon or two depending on the quantity of shrimp and/or add fresh orange juice into the bowl.

One by one, add the spices. Mix everything well. Cover the bowl and put in the frig if you’re marinating overnight. If not, leave them out to marinate while you prepare everything else.

The key is to not let the marinade and shrimp be cold before you put them in the boiling water! You don’t want the shrimp to 1) cool the water too much 2) toughen up when they hit the heat.

Boil water in a deep pan.
EcoRico tip: Before you add the shrimp, drop the heat to Medium! If the water is too hot, the shrimp get tough.

Dump the entire bowl of shrimp and marinade into the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Immediately pour contents into a colander. Let cool a minute. Serve and eat!

I use a basic cocktail sauce for my shrimp. My daughter eats them plain cause they’re so tasty. I like to hand-feed them to my lover. It’s EcoSexy…

VEGAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING
(as seen in EcoRico Ep. 003, http://eco-rico.com/ecoricotv/)

This pudding is OBSCENE. You will not believe it has no milk in it. It is ridiculously creamy and decadent. And only requires a blender!

One heaping tablespoon of organic Fair Trade cacao powder
Flesh of one young coconut
Fresh coconut water
(Can substitute almond or rice milk or purchase coconut water from your local, natural food store, but the real thing is much more fun!)
½ cup raw cashews
Organic agave nectar
One capful of organic, Fair Trade Vanilla extract
Couple pinches of sea salt

In a blender, add coconut flesh, coconut water, cashews, agave, vanilla, pinch or two of sea salt. Let her rip!

(If you don’t want chocolate today, simply blend these ingredients without the chocolate for a fantabulous vanilla pudding!)

But she’s gotta have it, so…
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of cacao into the blender and mix in.

Serve with a luscious plate of local organic fruits. My favorites: peaches, pineapple, raspberries, mango (the EcoRico Queen of Fruit!)

Dip the fruit in your pudding and… ecstasy!

For more on agave nectar, please see my Eco-tip “The Truth About Agave Nectar” at http://www.youtube.com/EcoRicoTV.