Coliflor Arroz Amarillo con Habichuelas (Cauliflower Yellow Rice and Beans)

You might not know this but, I am Puerto Rican, 100%. Many meals growing up were traditional, cooked by my grandmother, my father, and my mother. One of the staples of any Puerto Rican's diet is delicious yellow rice possibly with chicken (arroz con pollo) or with beans (arroz con habichuelas) or both (con pollo y habichuelas.) I will stop with the español lesson but, traditional Puerto Rican cuisine gets me inspired! While I love continuing the culinary tradition of cooking rice as a staple side dish it isn't the healthiest thing to be eating day in and day out and as I am trying to be a healthier me I decided to adapt an alternative that I have seen on numerous Pinterest boards, cauliflower as rice but, with a Hispanic twist. While this is a delicious side dish, that you should make and enjoy immediately, remember that in the end it is cauliflower so, it's not going to have the same texture as rice that being said... it's delicious. Why cauliflower? Because it is a low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free rice substitute that also happens to be high in protein with fiber,  as well, as vitamins C, K, and B6. That sounds pretty healthy to me and in this recipe, we find the best of both worlds, delicious and healthy!

Ingredients
(serves 3/4)

• 2 heads of cauliflower (about 3 cups of cauliflower when riced)
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. tomato sauce
• one packet Goya Sazon
• 3 heaping tbsp. of Goya Recaito
• 1 can of black beans (drained)

(the secret ratio is one tbsp. of each of the wet ingredients to one cup of cauliflower so adjust accordingly)

Cut the cauliflower into pieces and put the chopped pieces into a food processor. With an S blade us the pulse function until it is fine but, not pureed. Move the riced cauliflower into a bowl and press out some of the liquid periodically. 

In a large pan mix the olive oil, tomato sauce, Goya Sazon, and Goya Recaito. Cook over high heat until bubbling. Spoon in the riced cauliflower and stir until all of the white cauliflower has been coated with the sauce and is a red/orange color. Let it cook for 4/5 minutes on high heat.  

After the rice is thoroughly mixed and has cooked for a few minutes add the black beans and mix them thoroughly as well. Lower the flame, cover the pan, and let your "rice" cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with chicken, roast pork, or enjoy as your main dish!

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Gluten Free Me

I will start out by saying that I do not have Celiac disease and am not actually allergic to gluten. I do however struggle with a chronic auto-immune problem like 20% of the population of the US who has some form of auto-immune disease. I chose to eliminate gluten from my diet as a way to alleviate some of the symptoms I was feeling at the recommendation of a friend who had done the same. Well, more specifically, I said I would give it a try for one weekend as she harassed me strongly suggested I do just that. As my symptoms seemed to vanish over the course of a few days I knew that if I didn't keep it up moving forward I would be knowingly hurting myself... I'm no sadist so, I have and it really hasn't been that bad. Sure, sometimes I want to eat walk into a bakery and buy a cupcake, or a deli nearby and get sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel, or eat anything at a networking even where hey serve finger food but, while that moment of sweet/chewy/delicious flour filled goodness will taste great it won't be worth it in the end. Here are some of the ways that I started to incorporate gluten free living into my everyday gluten filled life.

• Focus on foods that are naturally gluten free like fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy (or dairy substitutes), etc. Something that I realized as I started my gluten free lifestyle change was that many of the foods I was eating on a regular basis met the criteria for gluten free. There were some tweaks I had to make, of course, but, for the most part the transition was pretty seamless and in the end it was the more processed foods that I had to weed out. 

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Feb 11, 2016 at 3:09pm PST

• Learn about the devil gluten and where it hides. Speaking with people who are gluten free was one way to learn but, it really helped when I sat down and read a little more about it on my own terms. This book was given to my by more than one person for Christmas the year I went gluten free and was helpful in getting a baseline understanding of what gluten is a where it could be hiding. There are also some recipes that you might be able to integrate into your daily life. 

• Remember that vegan does not equal gluten free which can be one of the most challenging things at the grocery store. You might have think you found the perfect Non-GMO, Dairy/Nut/Soy Free breakfast burrito with heritage tomatoes and free range chicken eggs (YUM) but, none of that means Gluten Free, in fact, the burrito that all that deliciousness is wrapped in still has wheat flour... Read labels carefully to make sure don't just jump at the buzz words.
• Remember gluten free does not mean low fat. In the beginning when you focus on fresh food and non-processed things you might lose a little weight (which is nice.) Once you start trying out the plethora of gluten free substitute items available you might see that number tick up again.  Those items are, most of the time, not low fat and might actually have more calories than their gluten filled counterparts.  

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Dec 5, 2015 at 6:11am PST

• Plan for stuff like special occasions (or just a random day of the week) when you might want food items that are not normally gluten free and those gluten free alternatives might pose a challenge to obtain. I'm talking about cakes, cupcakes, and anything cake related like muffins, etc. Not many bakeries stock gluten free goodies regularly as they are not shelf stable but, you can order them and pick them up or find them frozen. As I have said before, to not you until now, "If I want a cupcake, I can have a cupcake I just have to plan for it." True story...

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Aug 8, 2016 at 1:32am PDT

Mize En Place

On average weekday do you cook dinner? I'm sure you do now because, you are a master meal planner... While meal planning can be a great way to  save time, keeps stress about what's for dinner to a minimum there is one component of cooking all that time that take more time that you realize. I'm talking all the chopping, slicing, and measuring that happens before any real cooking takes place.

This isn't a challenge for every recipe but, for new ones, ones that have a numerous amount of different ingredients, or large volumes of the same ingredient it can take more time than you think to prep everything. That is where mize en place comes in. What's that? It's a French culinary term which refers to the set up required before cooking AKA the organizing and arranging the ingredients that a cook will require for the meal they are preparing. While I am far from a professional chef it helps me when I am cooking a meal in the evening to have sliced, chopped, and measured things in advance. Most of the time that means incorporating meal prep into my morning routine which while seemingly cumbersome can make a world of different when I get home after a day of work and the last thing I want to do is spend fifteen(+) minutes slicing two pounds of  brussel sprouts of whatever is on the menu for the evening. Remember, I said you wouldn't like me when I'm hangry...

Meal Planning 101

On average weekday do you cook dinner? I do; it is cost effective, great if you have a sensitive tummy or dietary restrictions, and delicious (if I do say so myself!) Unfortunately, it can also be time-consuming. There are a few solutions to mitigate that issue, one of which is having an idea of what your meals are going to look like in advance. Yes, it is possible to know what you are going to eat every night of the week before the week starts. No, this isn't psychic magic I am talking about, I am talking about meal planning. It is something that saves me time, keeps me from stressing over what's for dinner or ordering take out all the time, and ensures that I stay focused when I'm at the grocery store instead of picking up seven that pint of Ben and Jerry's. Normally I like to do this part of my routine on a Thursday or Friday when the grocery stores are rolling out circulars for the following week.  After you have gone through the below steps you will have an idea of what your dinners will look like for the following week and enjoy worrying about other things like what show on your DVR to start bingeing on after dinner.

• Get a notebook/journal/legal pad/napkin basically anywhere you can write your meal plan down. I have a notebook where I write my meal plan for the week on one side and on the other side my grocery list but, you do you. 
• Look at your weekly schedule for the following week. What are the nights that you are going to be home and have a chance to cook? What are the nights when you have plans and will be otherwise indisposed? What are the nights when all you plan to do is eat ice cream leftovers or order out?
• For the days when you will be home and able to cook there are few places to look for meal inspiration based on what you find in the below sources think about 5/6 meals that you can cobble together in a reasonably quick time frame. Personally, if I have to spend more that 45 minutes prepping/cooking a meal after coming home from work I have become a hangry monster and you won't like me when I'm hangry. Check:
• Your Pantry/Fridge - What kind of shelf stable things do you have lying around? Is there an interesting spice blend or marinade that you want to give a try? 
• Weekly Circulars - What kind of produce is on sale? Are there any interesting that you have been wanting to try at home but, haven't gotten a chance to? This might be the perfect opportunity to do so?  
• Pinterest/Cookbooks - Once you start cooking meals regularly it is very easy to fall into a routine which will get old quickly. Spice things up (figuratively and perhaps literally) and try something new every once in a while.

A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on Dec 29, 2013 at 4:48pm PST

To Do: Magnum Ice Cream Bar Pop Up Shop

I LOVE ice cream! Yes, more than you... for an after dinner treat, reward for a job well done, or Saturday morning breakfast a snack at the beach/park/pool there is nothing better than ice cream. Recently, when I was in SoHo for dinner with a friend I passed by a store front with Magnum Ice Cream logos outside. You know, the wonderfully decadent ice cream bars at the grocery store that come encased in the most luscious chocolate. I was intrigued but, sadly, I couldn't stop in because I didn't want us to miss out on our reservation. Of course, I needed to know more; enter internet research! I was pleased to learn that what I had passed by was actually a make your own Magnum Ice Cream bar pop-up shop for the summer! Yes, let's all freak out about it together. Apparently, Magnum Ice Cream has been rolling out temporary make your own pop up pop shops like this around the world but, this is the first in the United States. When Hubby and I were heading out for date night, last Friday, this experience had to be dinner part of the equation. Yummy (non ice cream) dinner? Check. Wandering around SoHo looking at interesting street art? Check, (hello, #lovewall.) Delicious make your own ice cream concoctions? You bet!

When we went in I was surprised by the lack of a line or crowds in general. Don't get me wrong, there were people there but, not throngs of crazed ice cream lovers like me. Before they burst out from wherever they were hiding I approached the counter tentatively. I, honestly, wasn't sure where to start my Magnum pop up shop experience (at the cash register on the left so you can pay first) but, the staff was very helpful and ushered us forward. You start with a choice of chocolate or vanilla (no added hormone) ice cream, then comes the fun part. You pick three toppings from the assortment of over twenty different choices like chopped nuts, Himalayan sea salt, espresso sugar, or rose petals. Lastly your ice cream bar assistant will dip your bar in white, milk, or dark Belgian chocolate. While it cools they shake up your topping choices and then methodically sprinkle them over your waiting ice cream bar. They then finish it with another drizzle of chocolate and little chocolate M token.

Despite the overwhelming amount of choices we managed to make important ice cream decisions. Hubby got chocolate ice cream with espresso sugar, cookie crumble, hazelnut crunch, and a white chocolate drizzle. I got vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered sunflowers seeds, Himalayan pink salt, white chocolate covered rice crisp, and a white chocolate drizzle. Since there weren't hoards of people we were even able to take a seat and to enjoy our creations. Yum!  

So, make time and run, don't walk, to the Magnum Ice Cream bar pop-up shop in SoHo at 134 Prince Street, between Wooster Street and West Broadway. Their hours of operation are 12pm-8pm Sunday-Wednesday and 12pm-9pm Thudsay-Saturday from now until mid-August.  I will be heading back soon, as well, and we might bump into each other. Why? Because I need to try every permutation of deliciousness possible before the season ends and they close.

I was NOT compensated for this post the opinions are all my own.

Brunch Best Practices/Avocado Toast

Weekends mean freedom from work, time to relax, and a chance to get some chores out of the way... Weekends in spring and summer are even better! Why? Because, the time we spend relaxing is feels longer with the sun setting later and later; even chores can feel less mundane... One of the best things about the weekend, in my opinion, is the opportunity to eat the magical in between meal that is brunch. Heading out to one of the many restaurants nearby that serves brunch is simple enough. I might be a little spoiled though, as most restaurants in the vicinity of New York City have next level brunch menus. Patrons will come year round and resign themselves to the hostesses whim waiting for a table or for their full party to show so they can be seated and not lose what their coveted reservation. In the summer it's even crazier/nicer without door tables and the opportunity to eat al fresco. While brunch in Manhattan is a New York City institution, most of the times the experience is marred by long lines, watered-down cocktails, and heat lamp eggs. Yuck! Which of course leads me to to wonder, "Why not do this at home?"

You can absolutely achieve the same delicious amalgam of breakfast and lunch at home. It's lovely when you can have a few friends over to enjoy it with you. You don't have to send out formal invitations, a quick email/evite or text message will do. Also, It doesn't have to be an extravagant affair; you can find stylish coordinating tablecloths, napkins, and place mats at bargain stores like Christmas Tree Shops or Home Goods. Most of the items shown on my most recent impromptu brunch table come from the former...   

A brunch menu is always very eclectic but, I find egg based meals to be the most popular overall. An uncomplicated scrambled egg and bacon or sausage or tofu chorizo with toast is always a winner. Which would you prefer? In terms of what I served this time around it seemed appropriate to put together the most popular brunch item right now; that's right I am talking about avocado toast. There are many different variations of avocado toast but, I like to keep it simple.

While everything is better with bacon, I feel like I don't have to explain the process of cooking it but, here is what my version of avocado toast looks like...

Ingredients:

(serves 5)

• 10 slices of bread (gluten free if preferred)
• 10 eggs 
• 3/4 ripe avocados 
• cilantro

Place all the eggs in a sauce pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.

While the water is getting to boiling temperature slice open the avocados and scoop out the insides into a medium bowl with a spoon, discard the skin and pits. Mash the avocado until it is a spreadable texture and set aside. 

Also while the water is getting a boiling temperature rise the cilantro and pat dry. Separate some leaves and set aside. 

When the water reaches a rolling boil set a timer to 4 minutes and lower the flame to medium high. That is approximately how long it takes an extra large egg to reach a medium boiled state but, this is to you preference; maybe you want them a little more or less done.

While the eggs are boiling start toasting your slices of bread.

When the timer goes off immediately remove the eggs and drain the boiling water. Fill the pot with cold water so you can start peeling the eggs. When all the eggs are peeled it is time to start making your avocado toasts!

Take a piece of toast an spread avocado on it. Take cilantro leaves and sprinkle them on top to taste. Using an egg slicer slice one egg and spread the slices over your avocado and cilantro. Sprinkle liberally with salt.

Repeat and Refect and Enjoy!

I was NOT compensated for this post the opinions are all my own. This post contains affiliate links.