Coconut and Honey Tangerine Salad and How to Open a Coconut by Jesse Bluma

Coconut and Honey Tangerine Salad

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Opening a coconut brings a tropical experience home.  The jungle can be fierce; however, if you have the tools you will survive.  Use a clean screwdriver and hammer to enlarge the holes in the coconut.  Be on guard for some flying shells.

Place the coconut onto a jar and drain.  Feel free to drink the coconut water or refrigerate for a later use.

Put the coconut in an oven at 350 degrees (or 177 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes. You may hear a pop, that should be fine as the coconut will be easier to fully open.

Take coconut out of oven and let cool for about 30 minutes.  Remove the outer shell.  Remove the meat out of the outer shell, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the inner husk.

Visit Amazon to get your ingredients for this recipe.

Salad Ingredients

1 cup fresh coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts  

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed honey tangerine juice

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh, organic thyme

Coarse salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium head of fresh, organic lettuce

2 organic honey tangerines, peeled and thinly sliced

1 organic green apple, thinly sliced

Visit Amazon to get your ingredients for this recipe.

Directions

1.  Fresh Coconut:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 177 degrees Celsius).

Set fresh coconut and walnuts on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 7 minutes, until golden in color.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2.  Dressing:  Whisk tangerine juice, vinegar, and thyme.

Add salt and pepper.

Whisk while adding olive oil in a slow stream.

3.  Incorporate lettuce, tangerines, and apple.

Combine with coconut and walnuts.

Add vinaigrette and serve.

Makes about 4 servings.

Make this meal extra special with baked goods by Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven.

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Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hot and Comforting Roasted Potatoes with Tomatoes Recipe

Hot and Comforting Roasted Potatoes with Tomatoes Recipe

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Directions

Place oven rack in middle position, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).

Heat a large ovenproof potato dish or skillet in the oven for 15 minutes.

3 red potatoes, sliced into chips

3 organic Roman tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro, diced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup yellow onion, diced

1 chive, diced

Sea salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste, season at end of roasting

Toss ingredients (minus the pepper) in a bowl.

Carefully spoon potato mixture on to the preheated dish.

Roast until golden brown, fork tender, for about 25-30 minutes.

Season with fresh ground pepper at end of roasting.

Top off your meal with warm, delicious baked goods from Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven.  Items are made with organic ingredients, utilizing agave, maple syrup, honey, and other substitutes for processed white sugar.

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Image courtesy of [OZphotography] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mushroom Wonton Soup with Roasted Chicken Broth, Leeks, Lemon, and Thyme

Mushroom Wonton Soup with Roasted Chicken Broth, Leeks, Lemon, and Thyme

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

Looking for something on the healthy side that is still hardy?  This mushroom wonton soup will satisfy your dinner desires.  Ginger cookies, sugar cookies, and good ol' chocolate chip cookies make a great dessert after this soup.  I remember making wonton soup with my family and friends as a kid, so this a great recipe to make with others and see which person is the best wonton maker.

Ingredients

3 cups roasted chicken broth, homemade (or Wolfgang Puck's brand)

3 cups water

1 leek (chop and use the light-green and white parts only, wash well, and drain)

2 carrots, peel, cut into pieces of 2 inches

3 celery stalks, slice thinly

2 garlic cloves, peel, cut into halves

3 strips organic lemon zest, julienne

1 tablespoon thyme

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

Stir together stock and water, then leek, carrots, celery, garlic, lemon zest, and thyme.  

Boil on high, reduce to medium, cover, simmer for about 8 minutes.  

Season with salt and pepper.  

Take out the lemon peel and garlic.  

Use with mushroom wonton recipe.

Mushroom Wontons

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces button mushrooms, finely chop

1/2 yellow onion, finely chop

Season with coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (plain)

2 tablespoons chives, finely chop

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chop

16 wonton wrappers

Place skillet on stove, medium-high heat.  

Add olive oil, mushrooms, onion, salt, cook until tender, about 8 minutes.  

Set aside to cool for ten minutes.  

Combine with Greek yogurt, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Use about 1 teaspoon of filling in each wonton wrapper.  

Place the filling on to one half of wrapper.  

Moisten sides of wrapper with water, lightly.  

Fold the opposite sides over the filling, seal with a fold along the edge.  

Press the two outside corners, "wings", together and seal.

Boil the wontons in a large pot of water.  

Boil until tender for about three minutes.  

Use a slotted spoon to remove.  

Serve in chicken broth.

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Image courtesy of [Keerati] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Spotlight in Titan Magazine

Spotlight in Titan Magazine

Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven. All rights reserved.

If you want to challenge yourself in every way, academically, personally, socially, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and financially, then college is the way. 

Last year I was spotlighted in Titan Magazine.  I agreed and the article came out this month.  I greatly appreciate my education and experiences at California State Fullerton and Titan Magazine.

"Titan Magazine highlights CSUF alumni, campus news and on-going projects, events, and the future of Cal State Fullerton.  In 1957, Cal State Fullerton became the twelfth State College in California to be authorized by the State Legislature as a degree granting institution.  The University was originally named Orange County State College."

  

My educational achievements included the following: Masters in Political Science with an emphasis in teaching, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and Multiple Subject Matter Preparation Program (M.S.M.P.P.) certificate from California State University Fullerton.  Additionally, I earned a Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certificate through the University of San Diego and a Supplemental History credential through Santa Monica College.  Prior to college I attended Fountain Valley High School and earned Honors in Visual and Fine Arts and in Industrial Technology.

College and graduate life includes many benefits.  Financial gain, increased opportunities of all kinds, a sense of personal satisfaction and confidence that can never be taken away, marketable skills to change careers and during periods of economic recession, being a role model to others, leadership opportunities, networking in and out of college, and much more that you may not realize in the present.  

The pain of studying, the sacrifices, the troughs, mold and shape you in college.  Certainly, a university degree is not the only way to gain an education nor the only route in life.  Yet, the journey you embark on in college with yourself, classmates, and professors is worth it.

As journalist Mary Schmich stated, "Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth."

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Credits: Titan Magazine, stubpass.com