Category: Plant-based

Comfort Food, Plant-based

Citrus-Stewed Beans

by Crystal RiveraLeave a Comment on Citrus-Stewed Beans

No one would believe mom is Russian if they’ve tasted her pernil with a side of rice and beans. Seriously. And while I don’t eat pernil these days, I’m perfectly fine with having a bowl of these beans all on their own, or with rice! Or bread.

Mom told me she learned to stew them from her best friend’s mother as a teen. Tomato broth, with potatoes and olives, smoked, salty meat, and tons of fresh cilantro is where her recipe begins, but does not have to end. Sometimes you’ll see sliced carrots in there, too. Or maybe even peppers. There’s a nod to Autumn in this recipe by using the honey nut squash for sweetness. It’s hearty and the recipe doesn’t require that it needs to be. I love that most about it. As long as you have a can of beans, organic Sazon, and tomato puree, you can totally improvise based on what you have around your kitchen. No fuss, EVER. Do you always store sofrito in your fridge? Use some of that, too.

My approach to mom’s beans is always based on the season and what’s in season. The addition of orange zest is not something mom would use, but I happen to be obsessed with cooking with oranges. When flavors of citrus, smokiness, and spiciness meet–it surprises you in an eyebrows-up kind of way. While smoked or cured meat is always involved in her recipe, I’ve added smoked tofu instead.

Now, let’s get cooking! 

Citrus-Stewed Beans

A flexible, hearty recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Puerto Rican
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • olive oil to coat pan
  • 1/2 cup smoked meat or tofu
  • 2-3 long strips of orange zest
  • 2 tsp organic Sazon
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano or 1/2 tsp dried
  • 1/3 cup Spanish onion diced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 jalapeño diced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp capers or handful of Spanish olives
  • 1 1/2 cup honeynut squash or other veggies diced
  • 15 oz can of cannellini beans or other variety
  • 8 oz can of tomato sauce
  • 1 1/4 cup water or stock or more
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Cilantro to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a medium pot under low-medium heat, add your smoked meat, orange zest, garlic, onion, jalapeno, capers, sazon, and herbs. Saute for a few minutes, til onions are translucent.
  • Add beans, tossing til everything is combined.
  • Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. 
  • Then add your honeynut squash and any more liquid if necessary. Simmer til tender, about 15-20 minutes. Discard orange zest and woody herbs.
  • Serve with rice or bread.
Keyword Beans, Comfort Food, Quick, Stew
Garden, Plant-based, Tomatoes

Spiced Wild Rice and Summer Tomatoes

by Crystal RiveraLeave a Comment on Spiced Wild Rice and Summer Tomatoes
Spiced Wild Rice and Summer Tomatoes

The cherry tomatoes I picked up from Cherry Lane Farm needed to be the star of any dish I put before my family, and this was certainly a winner. The wild rice, which can stand up to any ingredient without becoming soggy, is delicately spiced with baharat and Aleppo pepper. The tomatoes are marinated before adding them to the rice. I imagine you can add any fresh ingredients here, from cucumbers to corn. Serve this warm or even cold, as a salad or side dish or hey, a main.

Spiced Wild Rice and Summer Tomatoes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

for the rice

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tspn baharat
  • 1/2 tspn Aleppo pepper
  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • salt to taste

for the tomatoes

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes in season only, halved
  • drizzle of good quality olive oil
  • 1/2 tspn ground cumin
  • salt and Aleppo pepper to taste
  • fresh herbs chopped, to taste

Instructions
 

for the rice

  • Heat olive oil in a small pot. Add in the baharat and Aleppo pepper, allowing them to infuse the oil for about a minute. Stir in wild rice, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil then, with lid on, simmer for 45 minutes, or until the stock has evaporated. Set aside and cool slightly.

for the tomatoes

  • In a small bowl, season the halved tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, cumin, and Aleppo pepper and allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes before adding in the rice. Mix in your fresh herbs and serve.
Keyword Farmers Market, Fresh, Garden, Quick, Simple, Summer

By the way, how cute are my chili pepper shakers? Couldn’t resist using them here for the gram. Ha!

Plant-based, Tomatoes

Pickled Sweet Plantain Salad

by Crystal RiveraLeave a Comment on Pickled Sweet Plantain Salad
Pickled Sweet Plantain Salad

Loisa and I are bringing you fresh takes on classics, and I’m loving this latest one.

Here’s some guineros en escabeche inspo for you, minus the green bananas (guineros), I know! The yellow plantain is for my sweet cravings, and the cherry tomatoes are for that burst of spring and summer I so desperately miss. In addition to tomatoes and avocados, I imagine you can make this even more colorful and filling by adding a variety of sweet and hot peppers, added them to the quick pickling process or kept fresh. While you can make this the night before, I have served this several times an hour or two after mixing everything together. It still comes out flavorful. Just remember to add the avocado closer to serving.

Pickled Sweet Plantain Salad

Crystal Rivera
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Puerto Rican
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

for the plantains

  • 2 yellow plantains peeled
  • olive oil enough to coat plantains
  • 1/4 tspn Loisa Adobo divided

for the pickled onions

  • 2 small red onions halved and then sliced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves gently smashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tspn Loisa oregano
  • 1/2 tspn sugar
  • 1/4 tspn Loisa cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

for assembling

  • baked plantains sliced
  • 2 avocados diced
  • 1/2 lb cherry or grape tomatoes halved
  • cilantro chopped, to taste
  • pickled onions
  • olives or capers optional
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

for the plantains

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place plantains on a sheet pan and drizzle olive oil over them, spreading the oil evenly around it along with adobo, about 1/8 tsp each. Bake for 15 minutes on one side, and 15 minutes on the other. Set aside.

for the onions

  • Place all ingredients in a saucepan set under medium heat. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes, then set aside in a small bowl. I like the onions to still have a tiny bit of crispness to them while remaining a vibrant color. Boil longer for softer onions and stronger flavor.

for assembling

  • Mix the sweet plantains, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, and onion mixture together. Add in the olives or capers, if using. Chill for at least 1-3 hours before serving.
  • If you plan on marinating this salad overnight, add the avocado and tomatoes next day right before serving. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Enjoy!

Notes

For the plantains, I chose ones that were slightly blackened to assure that they do not lose shape when getting mixed with other ingredients. The blacker, the sweeter and softer they are. But do you!
Keyword Fresh, Simple

Here are other recipes I created using Loisa’s spices! This ongoing partnership has been the thing of color and comfort.

–Festive Veggie Arroz con Gandules

–Stewed Pigeon Peas (Gandules Guisados) with Fried Mushrooms

stewed pigeon peas (gandules guisados) with fried mushrooms

stewed pigeon peas (gandules guisados) with fried mushrooms

A recipe developed for Loisa using their organic spices. These stewed pigeon peas (gandules guisados) have butternut squash, and mushrooms that were first browned in a cast iron, spiced with sazón. I am pretty much addicted to these mushrooms and would not be mad atcha if you chose to just make them alone. Something tells […]