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Arroz con Pollo Mole Recipe and Giveaway for Hispanic Heritage Month

October 3, 2013 by Renee

Tonight I made Arroz con Pollo Mole (Mole Rice and Chicken) courtesy of IMUSA in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Some of you may already be familiar with IMUSA. They are an international cookware company that is well-known for their Hispanic cookware and housewares.

Recently IMUSA teamed up with McCormick and sent me a Southwest/Mexican themed package containing IMUSA’s lava rock molcajete, salsa dishes, a tortilla warmer and an assortment of McCormick seasoning packets and spices to try. There was a recipe mix for Taco’s, Enchiladas and Tinga de Pollo, plus Cumin, Chili Powder and Black Pepper.

In case you were not aware, Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. So this month, in addition to celebrating their independence, we celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Mexico and the Spanish speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. During this time, we recognize the important contributions made and the important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States.

And because I am geeky this way, here’s a NUMBERS FACT BREAK-

According to the 2010 Census, 50.5 million people or 16% of the population are of Hispanic or Latino origin. The Latino population grew 43% since the 2000 Census- accounting for more than half the nation’s total population growth! Hispanics actually accounted for ALL population increases in Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts,New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island in the last 10 years. (1) Wow!

Also, despite the recession, the buying power of Hispanic Americans continues to increase. Projections show that Hispanic buying power will increase to $1.5 TRILLION dollars by 2015, having grown 50% within five years. This rate of growth tops that of all other racial/ethnic groups and buying power growth overall. (2) Amazing! Oh, and with 86% of Latina women at the helm of purchasing decisions in households, the times are changing and economic power is shifting.

Hispanic women represent a key growth factor of the U.S. female population and are expected to become 30 percent of the total female population by 2060. The non-Hispanic white female population is expected to drop to 43 percent.

But what’s really cool is that by 2060, there will be no single dominant ethnic group. Instead, the female (and total) population will comprise a diverse ethnic plurality where Latinas (and Hispanics in general) play a sizable role. (3) Isn’t that awesome?

NO SINGLE DOMINANT ethnic group.

With that, I tip my hat…

So, in addition to their many great contributions to our nation (Nobel Prizes, Pultizers, Sports, Theater, Film, and so much more. (See Famous Firsts by Hispanics for more)) They have given us their food.

I love Spanish Food. Mexican, Salvadoran, Colombian, Puerto Rican, you name it…I love all of them. So naturally, in addition to what they sent me, I went out and bought an IMUSA tortilla press and an IMUSA Comal to attempt to make tortillas. The flour ones turned out much better than the masa ones, so I think they will be a work in progress. But I am happy to have masa in the house to make Pastelitos and Pupusas.

I was really thrilled to receive an IMUSA’s lava rock molcajete. I make guacamole at least once a week, as it’s a favorite snack amongst my kids with a bowl of tortilla chips (or plain with a fork for my oldest daughter), and this will make it that much creamier. Plus it’s great for crushing spices! We shared some guacamole for our appetizer while the chicken cooked.

This recipe is adapted from George Duran, chef, entertainer and author of Take This Dish and Twist it. George is known for his Food Network show Ham on the Street and most recently host of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. Check out his website at www.georgeduran.com. There is such an array of flavors, sweet and spicy with hints of cinnamon and chocolate.

If you happen to have an IMUSA Caldero you can use that or use a very large French/Dutch oven.

Arroz con Pollo Mole Recipe

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Renee

Ingredients

2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mild chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 chicken, cut into ⅛ths
½ cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 red pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rice, uncooked
2 6-oz. can tomato paste
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Curly parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Method

In a small bowl combine the first five ingredients. Set aside.
Dust chicken pieces with flour and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in your dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook them until they are golden browned, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook bacon until browned but not crisp.
Add the onion, red peppers and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the rice, tomato paste, and chocolate.
Add the mixed spices you set aside earlier and stir everything to combine well.
Add in the chicken stock and mix to combine again. Leaving the lid off, allow the rice mixture to come to a slow gentle boil while stirring. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Continue simmering for 25 minutes.
Uncover, gently mix the rice and return the chicken to the pot by placing it on top of the rice. Cover and continue simmering for 30-35 more minutes or until the chicken and rice are cooked through, all the liquid absorbed and the chicken is fork tender. While unlikely, if needed, add more chicken stock until rice is done. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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Now you can WIN a similar package from IMUSA and McCormick. I’m giving away a Cuban/Caribbean Package containing: IMUSA’s wood mortar and pestle, a tostonera, and assorted McCormick spices including Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Curry Powder, Paprika, Cinnamon, Oregano, Black Peppercorn Grinder, Chicken Bag ‘n Season, and Black Beans & Rice Mix.

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what Spanish dish you like to cook or a dish you’d like to learn how to make. It’s that easy!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

For More Info-

McCormick Spice on Facebook

McCormick Spices on Pinterest

Disclosure: I received one Southwest/Mexican tool and spice package from IMUSA and McCormick to try. IMUSA also supplied a recipe for me to test. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any other way for this post.

The giveaway is brought to you by IMUSA and McCormick and they may substitute prize contents at their discretion. All prize packages will be sent out by their PR firm and I am not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of non-delivery or delays in prizes. I will however assist the winner with emails and phone calls in the case where a prize is not received.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

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Research Sources:

1. Pew Hispanic Center, “Census 2010: 50 Million Latinos,” Mar. 2011

2. Sam Fahmy, “Despite recession, Hispanic and Asian buying power expected to surge in U.S.”, Terry College of Business UGA, Nov. 2010, http://www.terry.uga.edu/news/releases/2010/minority-buying-power-report.html

3. Nielsen, “Latina Power Shift”, 2013, http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/reports/2013/latina-power-shift.html

Top 10 Things I Learned at Eat, Write, Retreat 2013 and a Giveaway!

June 4, 2013 by Renee

Philadelphia welcomed Eat, Write, Retreat this past weekend and it may never be the same again. Over 100 food bloggers from all over the country- oh, and Canada too- descended on Philly to learn new blogging skills from the amazing line-up of speakers, interact with brands, network and to eat. Because that’s what we do best!

I was so thrilled to meet and connect with so many terrific people. I have made some new friends and I learned quite a bit of useful information in the process.

Someone mentioned that they should change the name of the conference because there was not much Retreat- and that was true! So much information was jammed packed into the two and half days that there was literally no down time. For the record, I am SOOO not a morning person, but there I was, up at 7 everyday, off to breakfast and ready to learn from my seat at the front of the room.

There were way more than these ten things that I learned but here’s the ones that really stood out.

TOP 10 Things I Learned at Eat, Write, Retreat

1. The incredible and generous Monica Bhide spoke first. She discussed the Sponsored Post and imparted knowledge that not only fits that topic but can be applied to all of your writing. The most poignant and probably the simplest idea- “Would you still write this post if it weren’t being sponsored?”

Do you love a product enough to talk about it and not be paid? If so, your love and authenticity will shine through. If you don’t really feel it, your audience will know and won’t feel the enthusiasm that perhaps that product deserves- it would be better for someone else who does love it. You can and should say no to products and reviews that don’t align with your personal goals.

2. The sweet and talented Joy Manning presented a great panel about power networking. I am rather shy by nature, so networking has always been one of my weak points. I think also the fact that most of us work alone, in our homes at our computers and don’t venture out too much also plays a role in the lack of good connections. She said- “Make friends on purpose.”

Pay attention to the well connected people, who they are and who they know. Become THEIR friends. Go up to them at conferences, send them a quick email to introduce yourself, flatter them (MEAN IT!) and find some common ground that you both share. Perhaps that contact will be able to help you in the future. Of course, it’s not a one way street and NEVER treat it as such. You should also network “down”. We always remember the people who help us, and you never know where someone can end up.

3. Carolyn Ketchum and Sarah W. Caron gave a panel on food photography. I tend not to do this, but I see so many others that do- and it’s a pet peeve of mine- so I am reiterating it here for you: BACK AWAY FROM THE FOOD!

Your meatballs are beautiful, I am sure. BUT, if they fill the frame and are as big as I am, then I will feel as though I am being crushed by them. STEP AWAY. BACK UP. No one- NO ONE wants to be all in the sauce floating around with the meatballs.

4. and 5. Jesse Gardner, Carolyn Ketchum and Valerie Coffman are folks after my own heart. Geeks, Techies, Nerds, they are my kind, and I bow to them.

They actually gave me #4 and #5 -these two points are easy and often overlooked items that will only take you seconds to do.

Use the Custom Title Tag Feature in your posts. Here you can add your KEY WORDS that relate to your article and are crucial for Search. Plus you can add your blog name.

For example: Top 10 things I learned at Eat Write Retreat Conference 2013 Philadelphia OXO Giveaway | Kitchen Conundrum

See, key words are there plus a separator and my blog’s name. Easy!

Next,

Use ALT Text for photos and Change the file name to a real name.

(Ok, that’s really two things, but one photo issue.) By renaming your photo to a real name and adding the ALT Text, you will be able to track that photo online and it will show up in search. Google doesn’t understand DSC 41.jpg but it does understand Potatoes.jpg, so you always want to name your photos. Plus when someone “pins” your photo to Pinterest, your Alt Text will show up as the description vs. the DSC41.jpg.

I admit that I have not always done this. I need to take the time to go back and do this. It’s a good thing to do. Which leads me to the next great tip-

6. Time management by Debbie Koenig was another super informative panel with way more info than I can list here. But the very best piece of advice that came from this panel was- Work in 90 minute increments.

Break your work day into 90 minute increments where you will only work on one thing at a time. Then break for a half hour to an hour. You accomplish more and be more effective and less likely to become distracted. Schedule your time to work on emails and social media and when you are working on something else, turn those off. Concentrate on one task at a time. When we try to do too many things, multi-tasking (and yes, we are all amazing multi-taskers!) all at once, we don’t really do any of them that well. They get done, but they are usually not our best work.

7. Another great tip from Monica that often rings true- If Your Heart Sinks When A Certain Client Calls for You, Dump them. That may sound harsh, but your time and energy is better spent on projects that you love and that give you pleasure. You are not doing that client any favors if your efforts will be half hearted. And you are also doing yourself a disservice by causing stress in your life and not opening up to other opportunities that may be better for you. Learn to say NO!

8. Potassium will be the next big mineral. As stated by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD who spoke about what’s in our water with Brona Cosgrave from Gerolsteiner Sparkling Mineral Water. As our sodium intake increases, we will need more potassium to offset sodium’s effects on our bodies. So get ready for more bananas and leafy greens in recipes.

9. Mushrooms are amazing! Mushroom farmers are the best recyclers. Tony and Joe D’Amico from To-Jo Mushrooms gave an in-depth talk on how mushrooms are grown and how everything, from the compost, peat and spores are reused. Not one thing is wasted. After the mushrooms are harvested the soil goes back to farmers and are used in other fields. Who knew?

10. Something very practical for canners- Store the Jars With The Rings Off. Marisa McClellan demonstrated how make a small batch Vanilla Strawberry Jam. It was truly delicious.

I make preserves and pickled vegetables a lot, but I never heard or thought about this. The rings should only be hand tight to hold the lid down for the water bath. Once the jar has finished the bath, it should have a good seal. Then take the ring off for storage. This way, if you have a contaminated jar, you will know much sooner than you would have if you had the ring on. The contaminant will begin to off-gas and the lid will pop. Sometimes things are so simple we miss them.

So there you have it! The Top 10 Things I Learned at Eat, Write, Retreat 2013. I can’t wait for 2014!

Now for the giveaway! The SWAG was awesome. Not only were there contest and raffles where you could win things, there was so much stuff to take home just from the amazing sponsors themselves. So I am sharing the love.

I have a set of OXO Good Grips graters that will go to one lucky Kitchen Conundrum reader. One of their newest graters, the OXO Good Grips Coarse Grater, is ideal for soft and semi-soft cheeses, apples, cabbage, potatoes, onions and more. The OXO Good Grips Fine Zester/Grater is perfect for zested citrus fruits, ginger and nutmeg while the OXO Good Grips Medium Grater is an essential grating tool nearly everything else!

So enter to win this awesome set and cover all your grating needs!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the wonderful and hard working organizers of this event, Casey Benedict and Robyn Webb. They worked tirelessly and put together a truly enjoyable conference with incredible speakers and terrific sponsors.

Just check out the EAT, WRITE, RETREAT site for a complete list of all the great sponsors.

Next up… Just who really makes the best cheesesteak in Philly? Stay tuned!

Pom Wonderful Dinner Party

November 27, 2010 by Renee

Pomegranates are synonymous with Fall menus and Rosh Hashanah meals. Harvested now, they can last quite a long time and be used for many different recipes throughout the entire holiday season. Their festive appearance also makes them perfect to use as decorations.

So when we saw that POM Wonderful had teamed up with FoodBuzz and was selecting hosts to create a POM Wonderful Dinner Party, we jumped at the chance and were thrilled to find out that we were among only 100 participants across the country to be chosen.

Imagine our surprise when we were received two crates, not one, but two, full crates of pomegranates to cook with and to use as decorations. That’s about 50 pomegranates in total!

They also sent us a fun apron to wear to shield us from the mess we were sure to make, as well as a cutting mat with handy pomegranate opening instructions printed on it. In addition, there were 10 gift bags for us to give out to our guests. Inside featured a POM Wonderful bracelet and a package of recipes, many of which we used for our menu. There were also coupons for free bottles of POM Wonderful juice!

So armed with our apron and recipes, and more pomegranates than we have ever seen, we got down to business and began the party preparations.

But first, we wanted to learn a little background on our featured guest…

The pomegranate originated in eastern Iran, and is one of the oldest fruits known to man. Because of its many seeds, the pomegranate has been used throughout history as the representation of fertility and plenty. The spies even brought a pomegranate back to Moses in the dessert to show him that the land of Israel was fertile. Jewish tradition holds that a pomegranate has 613 seeds to represent the 613 commandments in the Torah. (We’ve never counted, but now, with all these pomegranates around, we will!) Even the design of the pomegranate was woven into the high priest’s robes, and brass representations were part of the Temple’s pillars. It is mentioned six times in the Song of Solomon. Pomegranates also figures into many Christian and Catholic paintings by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, often seen in the hands of the Virgin Mary or baby Jesus.

We also see the pomegranate in ancient Greece and Rome. Homer mentions it in The Odyssey, as part of the gardens of Alcinous and the Greek myth of Persephone, the chthonic goddess of the Underworld, prominently features the pomegranate. The fruits were even found in China during the Han and Sung dynasties. Perhaps, it is so widely revered not just because of the symbolism of abundance, but also because of the fruits many health benefits as well. Known for its antioxidant and anti-disease benefits, the pomegranate has been used as a source of traditional remedies for thousands of years.

The Spanish Conquistadores are credited for bringing the pomegranate to America and Jesuit missionaries carried it north to their missions in California. But around 1896, a nurseryman named Mr. Bearss who came from Porterville, CA, brought pomegranate cuttings back from Florida to California. A new variety was grown and yielded a much sweeter and juicier fruit so he aptly named it, Wonderful. This variety is now the fruit that POM Wonderful harvests.

The word pomegranate actually comes from the Latin pomum or apple and granatus meaning seeded. You can see that this “pomum granatus” has influenced the name in many languages. In French, the word for the fruit is grenade, and in Hebrew the word is rimon, which also means grenade! This is likely because it seemed so incredibly difficult to remove the arils and they would literally explode everywhere!

The event was incredibly fun and we entertained guests that we had not seen in quite a long time. Our first thought was to go over the top with ornate golds and reds, but we had just finished painting our dining room and the ceiling in beautiful blues, so we changed the décor to silver.

We found some dazzling initial ornaments that we used to create the place cards for each person. Luckily, everyone had different initials! The silver chargers and white plates and grandmother’s silverware just popped on the backdrop of a black tablecloth. We created a very simple and elegant centerpiece featuring pomegranates in a tower vase surrounded by tea lights, pomegranates and strands of silver beads. We tried to make the rest of the decor as organic as possible to our own decor so we just stratigically placed the pomegranates around the house in different places.

After we determined the décor, we choose our menu. A few of the recipes came from the package that POM Wonderful had sent. And while we usually refrain from over using a single ingredient throughout our menus, we were never overwhelmed by the pomegranates and the flavors worked perfectly together throughout the entire dinner.

Once the decorations were set, it was time for dinner!

The Spritzers!

The Cosmos!

The Margaritas!

Aaron Sampling the Margaritas!

Spinach Salad with Pears & Walnuts, Pomegranate Raspberry Vinaigrette

Enjoying the salad and the company!

The Main Course and POM Wonderful’s Grilled Chicken Mohammara created by Chef Jose Andres

Some POM Wonderful Varieties!

Checking out the recipes!

And the grand finale, DESSERT! A POM Cube with Chocolate Streusel

Oops! Wait! I need a picture of that!

My still life.

Before the dishes.

We had an amazing time. All the food turned out really well, and we had nothing left over! We also found some wonderful (no pun intended!) uses for pomegranates in recipes. They really have a great flavor and we are also enjoying eating just the arils by the handfuls!

One final note though, we had an incredible amount of pomegranates left untouched and being people that feel it’s terrible to waste food, we donated a case and a half to our local food bank. We encourage others to do the same.