!Hola Familia!

Hi  ,

Brrrrr is it cold where you’re at? I’m in Buffalo NY and the week before Thanksgiving we were hit with a snowstorm that totaled approximately 6 feet of snow. Aye aye aye and winter is just getting started. How was your Sansgiving? Did you make a Pavochón? Did you drink Coquito? Speaking of Pavochón, I have a Pavochón recipe on my blog. You can check it out here.

My holiday was good. We’re gearing up from Christmas. I have a cute Holiday Box that is the perfect gift for the home cook in your life. I need to put up my Christmas Tree, and break out my HealthyRican ornament that’s from my collaboration with Mami Wear.com. You can go over to her site and check out the wonderful products she has. Perfect for Christmas shopping. Are you guys Team Real Tree or Team Artificial Tree? Let me know. This is the season that can make or break many small businesses. As a small business owner I’m adamant in shopping at and supporting other small businesses. The small business owner is the backbone of this country. We need your support. #supportsmallbusiness #shopsmallbusinesseveryday

Let’s Get Cooking; 2 for 1

We have a gift for you. Our food blogger friend Margarita from the Marinated Kitchen has graciously shared a Pastelon recipe with us. Margarita Vasquez spends her time creating tasty affordable meals that are easy, healthy and full of flavor. Her passion for cooking started as a young girl helping her mother in the kitchen. It is important to her when creating recipes that she makes sure to choose healthy, quality ingredients. She also takes into consideration the ease and time it takes to complete the meals while keeping them affordable. Margarita’s goal is to help you create mouth-watering, flavorful meals that can be prepared quickly and inexpensively. To get more recipes and learn about her, check out her site. 

This casserole is combined with the sweetness of ripe plantains filled with beef, spices and melted cheese. If you are looking for a treat, you are going to love this recipe!

Recipe for Puerto Rican Pastelón

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of ground beef 

• 4 ripe plantains

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten (add some adobo for seasoning or add salt & pepper to your taste)

• 3 cups of mozzarella cheese (or a cheese of your choice)

• Cooking spray or oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 cup of chopped peppers (I like to use yellow, orange and red peppers) to enhance the dish with additional flavor!

• ½ cup of tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste or minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons of sofrito (omit if you don’t have sofrito since you are adding fresh onions and garlic, you can add some chopped cilantro for flavor)

• 1 teaspoon of adobo

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and then add onions, peppers, garlic paste and sofrito. Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat.

2. Next, add ground beef, oregano, adobo, sea salt and black pepper; use a spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked.

3. Once the meat is cooked, set it aside.

4. Cut the ends off the plantains, slit a line down the plantain and peel the skin. Cut the plantain in half, then slice each half into 4 thin slices (watch the video below for instructions on how to peel and slice plantain).

5. Next cook the plantains. Using a large skillet, spray with cooking oil. Once the skillet is heated, start adding the plantains (you can fry the plantains with oil if you like). I prefer to use cooking spray. Cook until both sides of the plantains are golden brown (about 5 minutes). Set plantains aside to cool off before assembling into the cast iron skillet or baking dish.

6. Now it’s time to assemble the Pastelón! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. Arrange a single layer of plantains in the bottom of your cast iron skillet or baking dish. 

Next, layer beef filling on top of the plantain, then sprinkle cheese over the beef filling. Repeat with plantains, beef filling and cheese. Cover the top with remaining plantains.

8. Now take the three eggs, crack into a bowl and beat gently. Add your favorite seasoning. 

9. Pour the eggs over the plantains and bake the Pastelón until the eggs are cooked, about 25 minutes.

10. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese and place back in the oven until the cheese is golden brown.  

11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool off (about 20 minutes) before serving.  

12. Top with cilantro and serve.

Check out the video here!

Do you have some Coconut milk on hand, from making Coquito? Here’s a traditional Puerto Rican dessert you can make using the milk. It’s called Tembleque, pronounced tehm-bleh-keh. It’s the perfect dessert for the holidays. 

Deals and Sales and Gifts Oh my! 

Have you tried our newest addition to the Healthy Rican brand - Savory Spice mix. If our signature Adobo & Sofrito had a baby... this would be it! Made with all natural herbs and spices, this less sodium and black pepper free blend is a stand alone seasoning that can be used to make stews, as a dry rub to marinate meats, added in soups, rice, beans, and so much more. It’s a perfect match for poultry and roasting. It takes the guesswork out of cooking, so you can focus more on the things you love! 

I also have an amazing gift for you and the home cook chef in your life. It’s the Healthy Rican Holiday Box!

Includes:

• The Trio Perfecto (Adobo, Sazon & Sofrito)
• NEW Savory Spice Mix
• Recipe Cards
• All in a cute holiday box 🎁

You can purchase the box from my site or from Amazon Hurry supplies are limited. 

Tasty Thursday Holiday Edition

Tasty Thursday Holiday Edition anyone? I’m planning to do one on December 15 and I need your help. Can you guys help me choose what to make live? Do you personally prefer a traditional Christmas, or Latin/Puerto Rican style meal? How about a mixture of both?

I personally do a mix of both. But I would love to learn how to make foods from other cultures, like tamales. Tamales are traditionally served during the Holidays in Mexico. So I'll be on the lookout to find someone that can personally teach me. If you know anyone, reach out to me here or via social media. 

As for the Tasty Thursday on December 15, reply to this email, or share here what you'd like for me to make. 

Come and hang out with me!

I’m going to be at the Boulevard Mall Christmas Market, at the Boulevard Mall in Buffalo New York on Saturday December 3, and Saturday December 17. You can buy your HealthyRican seasonings in person! Come by and say hi, I would love to meet you all. Click here for more information. 

Thanks for taking the time to connect with me. As always, our promise to you is that we do not spam or send an unnecessary amount of emails. 

If at any moment, it's not working out for you, no hard feelings! Just unsubscribe below. We'll always be here if you change your mind. :)

I appreciate you! 

Wishing you much love, health, and happiness,

Mayra Luz Colón

Founder of Nutrition Dork LLC & Healthy Rican

Author of Healthy Rican: Put the Latin Spice in your Healthy Life!