Chef Mariela Ramirez, winner of the 2015 Yoga Journal–Natural Gourmet Institute Scholarship, cooks traditional Cuban and Colombian dishes with a creative and healthy twist. Here, she shares how yoga inspired her to become a pro chef and get healthy, plus a nutritious Latin-American feast sure to spice up your summer.
Growing up,Mariela Ramirez ate many meals with ingredients straight from her Cuban grandma’s farm in Miami, Florida. The property was full of tropical fruit trees—avocado, mango, lime, and mamey sapote (a fruit with creamy flesh that tastes similar to papaya). “I’d wake up on weekends and get eggs from the chickens, and my grandma would scramble them with cheese and ham and put it on Cuban toast that my grandfather would buy from a local bakery,” says Ramirez, now 25. Her grandmother would add a tomato-avocado salad and make shakes with mango es. “So, some of my meals were farm-to-table, but the Cuban version,” she says.
Story by Valerie Reiss
Yet much of the other traditional Cuban and Colombian food Ramirez grew up eating was less healthy: yellow rice flavored with MSG (a sodium-heavy food additive); salty canned beans; and meat that was either fried or covered in thick, savory, high-fat sauce. Not only was obesity prevalent in her family, but Ramirez (who go es by Mari) found herself overindulging in this type of fare when she was stressed. As a result, in high school, after she quit cheerleading, she found herself gaining weight and feeling less flexible. Then a cousin brought her to a yoga class.
“I went in sneakers, completely clueless as to what yoga was,” says Ramirez. “But I loved it. I wasn’t expecting such a soothing and relaxing experience.” Though her practice wavered in high school and college, yoga is now a refuge for her. “I treat yoga as essential to the way I live,” she says. “My body releases endorphins during my practice at Hot Yoga House Miami, and during Savasana I just meditate.” Ramirez says she leaves the studio happy and with a clear mind, and that her practice has helped her develop more self-compassion. “I try not to be so hard on myself when I can’t do what the girl one mat over can do—I go at my own pace,” she says.
After yoga class, Ramirez finds that she applies this kindness to her journey with food and cooking, and she thinks critically about the foods that are nourishing her body and fueling her day-something that started while attending the University of Florida, studying public relations. She began tweaking ingredients in family recipes she’d gotten from her Colombian mom. “I noticed how much sugar and salt were going in, and I decided to make healthy changes,” she says. “The first step was swapping white rice for brown, and it went from there.”
Ramirez began to host dinner parties for friends, who dubbed the gatherings “Mari’s Kitchen.” This evolved into a popular Instagram account, which, after she graduated, morphed into a business cooking Latin-inspired meals for clients (while maintaining a public-relations job). “My goal was to make food healthier and not sacrifice flavor,” she says. Still, Ramirez struggled with her weight, stress eating and not practicing what she preached. “My PR job was taxing, and I spent long hours prepping meals for clients,” Ramirez recalls. She had no time to focus on exercise or, ironically, her own nutrition, even while helping others to eat better.
By the time Ramirez was 2o, both her father and sister had undergone gastric bypass surgery to address obesity. At age 22, Ramirez did a BMI test at the gym that showed she was near the obese range. “I freaked out,” she says. “I didn’t want to have to take drastic measures like my father and sister.” She was also concerned that American Latinos in general are at high risk for obesity—78 percent of Latino adults in the States are overweight or obese, compared with about 67 percent of whites, according to the 2o15 State of Obesity report co-sponsored by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. So Ramirez renewed her focus on healthy eating and rebooted her yoga practice. During one particular hot yoga class in 2o13 she was asked to set an intention, and she dedicated her practice to healing her troubled relationship with food. “I made an oath to myself to not give up,” she says. “I’ve lost nearly 3o pounds, and I feel energized and centered.”
But despite her successes, Ramirez felt like she’d hit a career plateau. She came across an essay contest for a $15,ooo scholarship to the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts’ Chef’s Training Program in 2o15, cosponsored by the school and Yoga Journal. “The school embodied everything I stand for when it comes to cooking: picking whole foods and eating to heal the body,” she says. “I was so excited when I won the scholarship. My hard work had paid off.”
The home cook closed her business and quit her PR job before diving into the six-month session in New York City. Ramirez learned everything from knife skills to how to use natural ingredients, including “playing with seaweed”. Her fellow students came from a wide geographical base, introducing her to other cuisines and giving her a solid network of fellow chefs for support. All of this helped her gain confidence.
Now Ramirez is back in Miami, working as a line cook for Giorgio Rapicavoli, winner of Food Network’s Chopped, and building her culinary knowhow. While she’s focused on becoming a better cook, she’s dreaming of eventually doing something big for the community through healthful food with Latin flavors. “It might be artisanal products at your local organic grocery store or a food truck that serves creative recipes,” she says.
As Ramirez refines her skills and incubates her dreams, she has also refocused on what matters the most to her: family. Thanks to her nudging, Ramirez’s parents have switched their daily white rice for quinoa and freekeh (grains with more protein, fiber, and iron). “They say that it tastes almost the same, and that these swaps have helped them feel healthier,” Ramirez says. She’s also steered her mom toward probioticrich kombucha for gut health, and has given her parents’ pantry a makeover.
To get a taste of Ramirez’s healthy takes on Latin-American cuisine, enjoy these four recipes—straight from Mari’s actual kitchen. The tropically inflected, spiced-up results come from blending the best of her childhood eats with ingredients from the modern, healthful kitchen. Perfect for parties, the dishes pack big flavor—cumin, chiles, lime— and lots of juicy produce. In a word: Delicioso!
Arroz Con Pollo
SERVES 6
Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is a staple dish in every Latin-American household. Unfortunately, it’s now commonly made with spice packets filled with MSG. Instead, Ramirez opts for fresh oregano, turmeric, and saffron to achieve the same authentic flavor. Research suggests that oregano and turmeric have powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, while saffron may help prevent post-exercise muscle pain or weakness.
2 lbs organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
¾ red bell pepper
¼ bunch cilantro, plus extra for garnish
1½ cloves garlic
4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups brown basmati rice
Juice of 2 limes
1 bay leaf
½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced fresh turmeric (or ¼ tsp dried turmeric)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne
3 saffron threads,
crushed 1 cup frozen peas
½ cup jarred pimiento peppers
6 Manzanilla olives
2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish
Unwrap chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towel, and season with salt and black pepper. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil; cook chicken in batches, flipping once, until browned and almost cooked through, 5–10 minutes. Remove chicken from pot.
In a food processor, pulse onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic until finely chopped and evenly combined. Add mixture to the pot you used for chicken and cook over medium heat until onions are fragrant and translucent, 10 minutes. Add broth, rice, lime juice, bay leaf, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and saffron to the pot; bring mixture to a boil. Add chicken; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 1 hour.Add frozen peas, pimientos, and olives, stirring until warm. Fluff rice with fork and divide among six plates. Garnish each plate with a lime wedge.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 457 calories per serving, 13 g fat (2 g saturated), 45 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 42 g protein, 228 mg sodium
Watermelon Mojito Smoothie
SERVES 4 (ABOUT 24 OZ TOTAL)
Instead of using rum and simple syrup, Ramirez opts for summer fruits and chia seeds for a fiber boost.
2¼ cups watermelon chunks
1½ cups frozen strawberries
¾ cup frozen banana chunks
15 fresh mint leaves
Juice of 1½ limes
1½ tsp lemon zest
¾ tbsp chia seeds
4 lime wedges, for garnish
In a blender, combine watermelon, strawberries, bananas, ¾ cup water, 6 ice cubes (optional), mint leaves, lime juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Particularly juicy watermelon can add a lot of water, so if the smoothie seems too thin, add more ice cubes until you get a thick texture. Divide among four glasses; top each with chia seeds and a lime wedge.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 86 calories per serving, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 23 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 1 g protein, 5 mg sodium
Mango-Avocado Pico de Gallo Crostinis
MAKES ABOUT 20 CROSTINIS
Pico de gallo is a traditional Mexican salsa. Serve it on a whole-wheat baguette instead of fried tortilla chips, and give it a Cuban twist by replacing tomato with sweet mango. The salsa with creamy avocado infuses healthy fats.
1 whole-grain baguette,
cut into 20 ½-inch-thick slices
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup diced mango
¾ cup diced avocado
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
½ jalapeño,finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat oven to 425°. Brush baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper; bake on a baking sheet until light brown, about 7–9 minutes.
In a bowl, combine mango, avocado, onion,cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt. Spoon mixture onto bread slices and serve immediately.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 128 calories per 2 crostinis, 8 g fat (1 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein, 297 mg sodium.
Vegan Flan
SERVES 6
Flan is typically made with eggs, condensed milk, and whole milk. In this vegan version, Ramirez swaps the dairy for light coconut milk, tofu, and agar (a sea vegetable that adds a gelatinous texture). And instead of heavily processed sugars, she uses maple syrup and Sucanat sugar, an unrefined cane sugar that retains its molasses content, preserving trace amounts of iron and calcium. This flan is still a sweet splurge, but the swaps nix some sugar.
½ cup Sucanat sugar
2 cups light coconut milk
1 tbsp agar
½ cup extra-firm tofu
½ cup maple syrup
1½ tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ tbsp cinnamon, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt Coconut slices, for garnish
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the sugar and ¼ cup water, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves into a golden simple syrup, 2–5 minutes. Fill the bottom of each cup of a 9-by-13inch muffin pan with 1 tbsp simple syrup.
In a medium saucepan, bring coconut milk and agar to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, stirring constantly, until agar fully dissolves, 10–15 minutes. In a high-speed blender, blend coconut milk–agar mixture, tofu, maple syrup, coconut flakes, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until mixture is smooth.
Pour coconut-milk mixture into muffinpan cups and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Place muffin pan in a shallow hot-water bath to loosen flan from bottom of pan, 15 seconds, then flip pan onto a flat surface, such as a cutting board or large tray, to pop out the flan. Garnish with cinnamon and coconut slices, and serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFO 220 calories per serving, 7 g fat (6 g saturated), 37 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 349 mg sodium
Recipes by Mariela Ramirez | Photography by Jennifer Olson
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore which is now Yogahood Online.
