Unique Arroz con Gandules

Sofrito

1/2 Green Bell Pepper

1/4 of a large Onion
1/4 large tomato

3-4 garlic cloves or a heaping tablespoon of chopped squeeze garlic

Tablespoon of dried Parsley or a bunch of fresh if you have it

Cilantro to taste - if you like it

Cut all this stuff up into little bits. I used an immersion blender to get it good and mushy. You can use a food processor or a blender.

Unique Arroz con Gandules Ingredients Continued

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Sofrito from above recipe

1 Can of Black Beans

1 Cup of Peas or Frozen Peas

1 Packet of Sazón Seasoning

2 cups of water as called for to cook the rice

1 8 oz box of Goya Yellow Rice or something similar

Alright here is the quick version:

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sofrito in the oil for about a minute. Next add the black beans, peas, and sazon. Mix well and cook until peas are no longer frozen (1 minute). Add the water and bring to a boil. Pour in the rice. Boil for one minute, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or according to rice instructions. Fluff and eat!

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or other pan-greasing oil
• 1 lb Sweet Potatoes, cut into even fries
• 1/2 TSP Cumin, Paprika, Chili Powder, Salt
• 1/4 TSP Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 
  

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a large flat pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.


Cut the sweet potatoes into similarly-sized fries. This is so they'll finish cooking at the same time. You should get about 16 fries from a medium-sized 1/2 pound potato.

Mix the spices together. Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil into a large ziploc-type bag. Shake for about 30 seconds and coat the fries with the spices. Next, put the olive oil into the bag, close it, and shake again for 30 seconds to coat the fries evenly with oil.

Cook for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.

Notes: You can reuse the bag, just wash it afterwards. Salt afterwards if desired.

Roasted Tomato Insalata Capresi

Ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 tomatoes
• 3-4 sliced garlic cloves
• 1/3 ball mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• a few drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• pinch of salt

Directions
Cut the tomatoes in halves. Turn them so that the flat side is down and place several slits into the back of the tomatoes with a knife. Insert the slices of garlic into the backs of the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on a piece of tin foil and then create a pouch with the tin foil. Wrap the tin foil so that the edges are 'sealed' close.

You can cook this in several ways, all for about 5-6 minutes. I chose to use my George Forman Grill - easy and no clean up! Use a stove-top grill, a charcoal grill, or even the oven. I think the George Forman is ideal because it heats both sides at once.

While the tomatoes are roasting (smell that garlic!), place the cheese and basil in a shallow dish, drizzle with olive oil. Place the tomatoes in the center of the dish once cooked, flat side down. Sprinkle a dash of salt on the tomatoes. Drizzle again with oil.

Notes: I used a leftover tomato, hence the 1.5 tomatoes. Use what you've got! Licopene/nutritional benefits of these dishes. Save the foil for leftovers. Salt brings out the flavor of tomatoes.