Atole de Avena

Today I will show you a very simple Oatmeal based cinnamon hot-drink perfect for winter (I know we are in summer but I was craving it last nigh). It is slightly thick, smooth , soothing, and a little clingy (I know odd)


Hot thick cinnamon based drinks are very popular in Mexican cuisine especially in winter. There are many different types and varieties typically these aren't found in food places because they are considered a very "home-style" the only thing people might usually find outside is "Atole de Maizena", "Atole de Maiz", "Atole de Chocolate" etc.

Ingredients:
-¾ cup plain Oatmeal
-2 cups whole milk
-8 cups water
-3 cinnamon sticks
-½- 1 cup sugar (sugar is to taste it depends how sweet you like it.
-¼ cup cold or room temp. water.

Directions:

-Bring 8 cups of water to a boil on medium high to high heat. with 3 cinnamon sticks, when the water becomes brownish red shock it with ¼ cup water to stop boiling and let it come back to a boil this will cause it to get more dark red.

-Put oatmeal in a blender with milk and blend on high until smooth and oatmeal is almost destroyed kinda powdered., it's okay to have some pieces but destroy it as much as possible.

-Add to the boiling cinnamon water and stir constantly not letting it stick to the bottom until liquid starts coming to a boil and becomes creamy and starts to rise immediately lower heat to low and add sugar to taste stir to dissolve sugar and you are done.

Arroz Con Gandules (Yellow Rice and Pigeon-Peas)

This is a Puerto Rican dish, yellow rice and pigeon-peas cooked together. My mother and me were taught this by a Puerto Rican friend named Lily. There are many versions of it, don't know if this one is the best but it is very delicious in comparison to some I have had. I believe this dish to be very healthy and easy on the stomach yet filling atleast this version.

My grandmother makes her own version of yellow rice and pigeon-peas which is a very "Cubanized" version that I love but today I will show you this one.

Ingredients:
-2 cans 15 oz of Glandules (Green Pigeon Peas) I buy the GOYA brand
-3 cups white-long grain rice (I buy Mahatma brand of rice)
-3 ½ cups water
-2 packets "Sazon Goya Achiote Con Culantro" (look in specialty section of Hispanic store I find it at "Vallarta" or any Cuban store)
-Salt to taste about 3 tsp.
-4 cloves garlic crushed and minced
-1 whole onion finely minced'
-2 medium roma tomatos minced into small cubes
-½ Green Bell Pepper and ½ red Bell Pepper minced or 1 whole of any color.
-1 bunch of cilantro minced
-Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to sautee

Directions:
(1)Wash rice until water runs clear. Put in rice cooker along with 2 Goya Sazon Packets, and 2 Cans of "Gandules" with their liquid and add 3 ½ cups of water and salt to taste, it should be a little salty because rice will absorb most of the salt and rice is bland anyways.

(2)Heat generous amount of olive oil in a pan on medium high. and sautee bell peppers, onion, and garlic on medium high until everything is fragrant and the onions are translucent. Now add tomato and sautee until tomato releases liquid, mix with cilantro and dump into the rice. Mix well.

(3)Close rice cooker and set it to cook until it beeps.

(4)You can adjust this to cook on a stove top instead just bring water with piqeon peas and it's liquid to a boil then proceed. And simmer on low.

I ate some with "Papa Rellena" yesterday :)

Moros y Cristianos (Rice Steamed in with Black Beans)

This is a very common Cuban dish. It could possibly be considered the national dish of Cuba. It is not to be confused with "Congri" which uses red beans.

This dish like many Cuban dishes originates from Spain, has strong spanish roots and is symbolic. "Moros" refers to "Moors" which are people from Morroco, Africa. "Christianos" means Christians. This dish signifies the the victory of the Christians over the Moors. The black beans represent the Moors and the White Rice the Christians. (I know kinda racist but hey it's a true story)


Ingredients:
1 Cup black beans
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 or ½ Spanish onion minced
1 or ½ green or red bell pepper (preferably green because I like savory)
4 cloves garlic crushed and minced
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil for sautéing
1 whole bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespooon salt

Directions:
(1)Wash beans well and boil in water enough to have enough liquid to cook rice later. Approximately 5 cups water or more. Bring to a boil and simmer covered or about 1 hour no more. (Don't cook the beans to a moosh or it will RUIN the dish it will make it to starchy so don't even soak beans over night) turn of.


(2)Put rice on a strainer and sift it to get rid of any small pieces then wash well.


(3)Put 2 rice cups in the rice cooker and add 3 cups of black bean broth and then drain the rest of the beans and add.

(4)Sautee onion and bell pepper until translucent and fragrant in olive oil then add garlic and sautee until garlic is fragrant and golden. Add to the rice and bean mixture. Season with salt, add cumin and bay leaf.




5)Cover and turn on rice cooker


(6)This can be done on stove top to if you know the basics of making rice on stove top.



I ate it with "Bistec Encebebollado" and "Yucca Con Mojo"