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

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.