Dirty Rice and Beans ( Cuban Moros)

I'm a week late for sharing Cinco de Mayo recipes, but this recipe is a winner any day of the week. Easy, tasty, and nutritious, it makes a healthy main dish that offers lots of flavor and spices. 

I was introduced to this recipe by our good friend Melissa who is a fabulous cook. She made a large casserole size container and brought it to our Mother's Day celebration this year. Not a morsel was left over-everyone loved it. 

It's a great casserole to bring to a pot luck.

The recipe is known as Moros y Cristianos, or simply Moros. It is a beloved Cuban dish that combines black beans and rice, cooked together with rich seasonings for a flavorful and hearty meal. The name, which translates to "Moors and Christians," reflects Spain’s historical past, symbolizing the Moors (black beans) and the Christians (white rice) during the Reconquista. 

Eating Moros is an experience in itself—each bite carries the smoky depth of cumin, the tang of vinegar, and the savory richness of slow-cooked beans infused into every grain of rice. Whether enjoyed at a family gathering or a Cuban restaurant, this dish is a flavorful journey through history and tradition.

Beans are good for you and easy and quite economical to make. They provide protein and much needed fiber to the everyone's diet. If you are looking to increase your meatless recipes, beans are the way to go ( literally) !!

I like to make my beans from scratch (see end of post for directions) - it is not difficult, but you need  to soak the beans overnight.Then I cook them in my slow cooker and they come out creamy and tasty.

If you feel like you just don't have time, open a can of black beans. Nothing is easier than opening a can. Go for it!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon of rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves, and then remove and discard
1/4 cup white cooking wine
2 tablespoons of olive oil 
2 cups of cooked black beans (or a 15 ounce can)
1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
1 cup water

Salt and cracked pepper to taste. 

Directions:
Saute onions, peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano and bay leaves in olive oil until soft. Add the white wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high, add water, rice, beans, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer  for 25 minutes.  Do not stir. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

How to cook Beans from scratch in slow cooker. 

To make beans in a crock pot/slow cooker, I have to plan because the beans have to be soaked overnight. I empty and rinse the beans, place them in a large bowl, cover them with water, and then ignore them until about 6:30 the next morning.

In the morning, before I leave for the day,  I rinse the beans, place them in my crock pot on low with 5 shakes of 21 Salute ( salt free seasoning from Trader Joes's - like Mrs. Dash's) 
The beans form their own little sauce in the crock and are delightfully soft, tasty and filling just the way they are. Take them out by 4:00 

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4 Healthy Desserts Kids Will Love

                                             

These 4 healthy recipes for Fudgy Brownies, chocolate pudding, pumpkin cupcakes, and frozen yogurt bites are desserts that are made with wholesome ingredients that not only taste good, but are nourishing.

Why serve your kids desserts that are high in concentrated sugars, chemicals, and poor quality fats, when it's easy to prepare delicious healthy desserts using real food. Children's little bodies and nervous systems depend on nutrients, not sugar and chemicals to thrive.

These health giving desserts are made from ingredients like black beans, avocado, and yogurt. All foods that are high in nutritive value that will nourish growing bodies.

In most recipes, it's important to understand that you can substitute avocado for other kinds of fat and it adds creaminess, making it perfect for chocolate pudding. ( you can't taste it) .

Black beans add texture and moistness to grain free baking ( can't taste them either) and yogurt is perfect for making ice cream-like snacks.

Peanut butter or almond butter are the main ingredient in these flourless mini pumpkin cupcakes.

I've rounded up these four fabulous desserts that meet gluten free and vegetarian/ vegan standards that are sure to knock your socks off!

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Ok, I will admit that some of the very normal ingredients area little unusual in a dessert; however,  I promise you these will be some of the best and easiest desserts you will ever made.

1. Fudgy Brownies   - These are my absolute favorites and my son's favorite. There is a secret ingredient in these brownies that make them highly unusual; however, the secret ingredient also makes them moist and delicious. If you don't tell anyone, either will I. 

       





2.  Chocolate Pudding  - This one can be made in just five minutes. The pudding is rich in chocolate, creamy and very nutritious. Again, there is another secret healthy ingredient in it that is just between you and me.

   


3. Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes -These are probably one of the best you will ever make! I made them originally for Halloween and my grand kids ages 2 and 5 at that time loved them. You can make them anytime of the year. In addition, you can substitute if you are not a pumpkin fan - banana? cooked carrots? Don't forget to add the chocolate chips! ( the pumpkin is delicious)





4. Frozen Yogurt Bites - kids of any age will love these, especially on a hot day! You pick the flavor yogurt add the fruit you want to add. Rasberry? Peach? Blueberry?  Prep: 5 minutes   Freeze : 1/2 hour and enjoy !! The frozen morsels melt in your mouth. Made from real food, so you can feel good when your kids eat them.

May be shared on a few of the following blog carnivals

Like my recipes? I post lots more ; Follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .

Please leave a comment so I can be  introduced to your blog . I will visit you and  I usually follow on G+, Twitter, and Pinterest. I would love if you followed me as well Follow me as well : Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .

Chocolate Ganache Frosting For The Brownies 

• 1/2 c raw honey
• 1/2 c coconut oil, liquid state
• 1/2 c raw cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Mix and spread on the brownies before baking

Frozen Yogurt Bites

                         

Get ready for the warmer weather! Frozen Yogurt Bites are definitely a healthy snack for kids of all ages. Everyone from young to old seem to love them. Bite size, cool and refreshing , they take only minutes to make and less than half our to freeze.

The recipe (with variations) is all over Pinterest, but I first saw it on a blog carnival from The Misadventures of a Born Again Farm Girl .  Many of the blog posts say that toddlers and young kids adore them, and so do their mothers because their kids can eat yogurt without making a big mess.

Freeze for 25 minutes on parchment. Remove and enjoy or freeze in baggies for later

                                                            
Personally, I find them flavorful and an easy gluten free snack. You get the benefits of yogurt in a tasty little treat. What could be bad?

They are so simple to make and you can keep all different flavors in your freezer.

They are versatile because you can add fruit, peanut butter, or just about any ingredient of your choice; Make sure to mix well before freezing on the parchment paper.
I made some with peach yogurt; others I made with a berry on top, and I used different flavored yogurts;  In addition, I sliced a banana , dipped it into some yogurt and then froze it on the parchment paper. The banana slices dipped in yogurt were my favorite.

Actually the yogurt bites were fun to make, and they are SO simple, it would be a good project to make with little ones.You can experiment with all colors and flavored yogurts an berries!

Prep: 5 minutes
Freeze Time: 25-30 minutes

The basic recipe: 
1 individual container of ( GF) yogurt, mixed : I used organic
1 sandwich  baggy
cookie sheet
parchment paper

Directions: 
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper
Pour the yogurt into the baggy and seal. Using a scissor, snip one end on a diagonal , making a small snip.
Squeeze bitesize dabs of yogurt onto the parchement paper. Freeze for 20-30 minutes.
Remove yogurt bites from parchment paper and store in baggies in the freezer.
They are ready whenever you want them. Will stay in freezer for two weeks.
( I liked them better made with regular yogurt, not Greek yogurt- but both works)

***To see the many other healthy gluten free recipes, healthy living tips, kitchen and blogging ideas that I pin or tweet each day, follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .


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I used the parchment twice and the marks were from freezing the first batch

snip one corner and squeeze in small dollops onto parchment paper 

may be shared on a few of the following blog carnivals

I used different flavors and colored  yogurts . ( Peach, raspberry )
Also slicel a banana and dip in the yogurt and freeze for a variation

Please leave a comment so I can be  introduced to your blog . When I visit  I usually follow on G+, Twitter, and Pinterest. I would love if you followed me as well Follow me as well : Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .

*To see the many other healthy gluten free recipes, healthy living tips, kitchen and blogging ideas that I pin or tweet each day, follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .

BPA- Free Plastic is Not Safe After All

                                             

Are you using BPA-Free plastic? Let me explain to you why I stopped using it.  I know plastic is convenient to use , but BPA-Free plastic is still full of other toxic chemicals!  Initially, when I started to read how bad plastic is for the environment and how toxic it is to our bodies, I emptied my kitchen of plastic and replaced my storage containers with glass. Then I read about BPA-free plastic and started to buy BPA -free plastic- now I've stopped using it as well.

 Plastic that is BPA- free is still not healthy. Why ??

BPA- free plastic is now made with other chemicals that are equally harmful. I read a great article on a blog I follow called Holistic Squid.

 Emily discusses The BPA free plastic issue  in depth. The article is informative and good read.

Alert: Your BPA-Free Plastic isn't Safe Afterall. 


Thanks Emily ...



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