GCC: Sweet & Sour Rice Salad

January 16, 2012 by Monica in Cooking Club, Gutsy Cooks Club, Rice, Salad

One of the main reasons I started Gutsy Cooks was to push myself when it came to trying new things in the kitchen. Often time, we get comfortable with our favorite dishes and tend to make them over and over again, losing the opportunities to try new flavors, ingredients, and techniques.

The whole point of calling the cooking club Gutsy was to remind myself, and those that participate every week with me to be fearless in the kitchen. That is how good cooks are born.

It may be a total bust and you may not like it, but – you.tried.it. You were Gutsy. And then there are those times when something you have never thought would work becomes your new favorite thing.

This salad is my new favorite thing.

GCC: Coconut Rice Fingers

October 24, 2011 by Monica in Baking, Cooking Club, Desserts, Gutsy Cooks Club, Rice, Sweets

We continue the rice theme in the Gutsy Cooks Club. This week it was to “make it sweet “ and the options were so good, that it was very hard to narrow it down to just one.

I’m a die-hard fan of rice pudding – side note: one day I will post my mother’s rice pudding in order to put all the other puddings to shame out there – Of course I will do this as soon as get her to share the recipe.

But, back to rice pudding. If you see the options, all were a variation of rice pudding. And boy did I want to make each and everyone one of them. It really came down between the Rice Pudding ice pops (hello!! Rice Pudding Ice Pops… show me a person that would not be jumping up and down for one of those) and the intriguing Coconut Rice Fingers.

I bet you can guest which ones I went with?

GCC: Arroz Imperial [Imperial Rice]

October 17, 2011 by Monica in Chicken, Dinner, Entertaining, Gutsy Cooks Club, Latin, Main Courses, Rice

The first time I tried this dish was when I lived in Miami and was invited to a birthday party by a friend from Cuba.

When I first saw it, I figure it was the typical Arroz con pollo – [chicken and rice] dish found in most Latin birthday parties.

Boy, was I wrong.

Is anything BUT, the typical chicken and yellow rice.

I would call it a dress up version of Chicken and yellow rice with a couple of twist - Mayonnaise is added to the cooked rice and the chicken is cooked in a sofrito/tomato base giving it a rich flavor, then its layered like a lasagna, and topped with mozzarella or any other mild white cheese.

Living in Miami, I never had the need to make it at home, since about 80% of the Cuban restaurants would have it as a catering/menu choice and all I had to do, was place the order and pick it up.

I had not had this dish in over 10 years.