Have you ever had a fudgsicle? It's a chocolate-flavored popsicle, with a pudding-like consistency, and I used to beg my parents to buy them at the grocery store when I was a kid. I developed the recipe for these vegan avocado and cacao paletas with those fudgy popsicles from my childhood in mind. As an adult, I like to give things a healthier spin when I can and since I have a vegan in the family, I wanted to make them in a way that she could enjoy them with me, which meant they couldn't have any dairy. These are similar to my avocado popsicles, with a few tweaks to make them vegan-friendly. The avocado gives the popsicle a creamy, silky base, and coconut milk mixed in helps the popsicles freeze consistently and stay together when you remove them from the mold.
Mexican Christmas Traditions
...Happy birthday, Frida Kahlo!
Today marks the 107th anniversary of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo's birthday. She was born in Mexico City on July 6, 1907. I've written many times about Frida Kahlo, visited the Museo Frida Kahlo—also known as La Casa Azul—in Mexico City, and admired Frida's work in books, museums around the world and online. To say I am a fan of Frida Kahlo is probably an understatement. I try to visit La Casa Azul each time I visit Mexico City and explore the streets of Coyoacán, where she once walked too.
On one of my recent visits, my father-in-law took a photo of me in front of La Casa Azul, which I've printed and framed to have a little piece of Frida at home. If you've never been to the museum, you can take a virtual visit online of the Museo Frida Kahlo.
...Watermelon and aloe vera juice
In Mexico, as well as other countries in Latin America, aloe gel (also sometimes referred to as aloe crystal) is used externally for a variety of skin ailments as well as consumed for its curative health benefits, especially for stomach and digestive ailments. Aloe gel or crystal comes from the meat of the leaf, and is easy and inexpensive to extract yourself at home. In Spanish, aloe vera is called "sábila" or "áloe," and is sometimes misspelled as "sávila." In Mexico, it's most commonly referred to as "sábila."
Aloe vera juice is said to help maintain healthy digestion, and can also help regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, reduce acne eruptions, as well as many other health benefits, and is a good addition for those who are conscious of an alkaline diet.
My Tío Eduardo swears by homemade aloe vera juice for digestive ailments. Homemade aloe juice is both easy and inexpensive to make—a single large aloe vera leaf in the produce section of most grocery stores in the U.S. should cost between 99 cents and $2 or $3. If a single leaf is $3 or more, it should be very large and heavy, otherwise check another store for a better price. Most Mexican or Latin American markets will carry them. Aloe leaves available in grocery stores are typically about 4-4.5 inches wide at the base, 22-24 inches long and about 1 inch thick.
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Pineapple cucumber lime paletas
Paletas made with pineapple, cucumber and lime juice are a refreshing, healthy treat you can enjoy without any guilt! This all-natural, no sugar added popsicle recipe is one of my favorite ways to cool off from the summer heat, without consuming lots of empty calories or sugar. The lime zest gives these paletas a bright zip of color and a citrusy aroma that lime juice alone just can't provide. I also love how the lime zest sinks to the bottom of the popsicle mold as it freezes, embedded in the pineapple juice and some of the cucumber juice naturally floats to the top of the mold. It makes for a pretty layered look with zero effort for it to turn out that way!
After going 10 days without eating sugar last month, I began thinking a lot about how much added sugar we actually consume in our household. Although we won't completely cut all added sugar out of our diet, there are definitely some places we can easily cut back to make healthier choices. And although it's true that pineapple has a moderately high amount of natural sugar, the juice, when cut by cucumber and lime juice and divided into 10 popsicles, still has way less sugar per serving than almost any store-bought popsicle, and absolutely no preservatives, chemicals, sugar substitutes or artificial color dyes.
RELATED RECIPE: Mango cantaloupe paletas with chile powder
If your family consumes a lot of popsicles in the summer like mine does, then you probably already know that making your own ice pops can be both cost effective and healthier. Especially if you've got little kids you don't want eating lots of sugar, this recipe is a great, tasty option. Be sure to cut the skin off the cucumber so that the flavor is mild and blends in well to mellow the sweetness of the pineapple. Leaving the skin on the cucumber often results in a bitter flavor that throws off the balance.
This pineapple, cucumber and lime popsicle recipe is vegan-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free....
Gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread with Mexican cotija
Brazilian cheese bread is a staple at most Brazilian restaurants—especially a Brazilian steakhouse. These addictive, light and fluffy cheese rolls are called pão de queijo in Portuguese, which simply means cheese bread. They’re a popular breakfast item (similar to how Mexicans love pan dulce) or a snack.
I loved these Brazilian cheese rolls so much after having them for the first time about a decade ago that I went on a quest to try to reproduce them in my own kitchen almost immediately. I’ve been making them for years now, and what better time to share this version with you when we’re about to embark upon a summer filled with soccer matches in Brazil!
This traditional Brazilian recipe is most commonly made with Minas cheese or parmesan cheese, but I’ve given my recipe a bit of a Mexican spin by substituting cotija cheese.
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