As I was sitting there editing, a man walks up to me and taps me on the shoulder and asks, “Excuse me young lady but what ever do you do professionally? I can tell you’re so passionate and you seem to really know what you want with whatever you’re doing.”

When I retold this story to Lu he thought that some guy was just trying to hit on me, but that definitely wasn’t it – he ended up telling me he was a headhunter and I looked very focused and he was looking for people like me to employ.

Bahaha! After I told him what I did, he goes “well, let me give you my card, in case later down the road, you change your mind or this doesn’t work out.”

I threw the card out when I got home.

With every day that goes by, I only grow more motivated, more passionate and more laser-focused. I love seeing results from the effort I put it in.

Anyway, I submitted the manuscript late afternoon yesterday (YAAAAAAAY!!!) This book is seriously going to be THE resource for spiralizing, and it’s going to blow your minds. I pulled out every trick up my sleeve for this one!

Now, it’s back to focusing on the blog. As I was finishing up the cookbook, I was adding a note about making plantain noodles and shared this picture:

I wasn’t planning on making a recipe afterwards, but I opened up the fridge, spotted some corn and avocado and leftover chipotle chilis in adobo sauce that I had to use.

Throw that all in and what do you get? One of those “lazy dinners” that turns out to be one of your favorite meals ever. I used eggs over medium in this recipe, but you could top it with a fried egg (sunny side up) or even scramble eggs. The runny egg gives the plantain noodles a sauce that, when combined with the spicy chipotle Greek yogurt, is sensational.

I nearly licked my bowl clean. Plantain noodles are tough to make, but once you accept that you’re going to get mostly half moons, it’s all good. The plantains are cooked in a skillet for 10-15 minutes until they turn a deeper yellow. While the plantains are cooking, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients (corn, chipotle yogurt, avocado).

See? Easy lazy dinner.

Have you tried making plantain noodles yet? How was your experience?

Nutritional Information & Recipes

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Plantain Noodles with Avocado, Corn and Chipotle Greek Yogurt

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• For the chipotle yogurt:
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 1/2 teaspoon sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the rest:
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 medium-ripe plantains peeled, Blade C
• 1 shucked ear of corn
• 1 avocado
• 2 whole eggs

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in the coconut oil. Once oil heats, add in the plantain noodles and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let cool, tossing occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until noodles turn a deep golden yellow. If the noodles begin to burn, uncover and toss frequently.
• While noodles cook, place an ear of corn in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let cook for another 2-3 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork and then drain into a colander. Shave the corn off with a knife and set aside.
• Also while noodles cook, peel and cube the avocado and set aside.
• Also while noodles cook, place all of the ingredients for the chipotle yogurt into a food processor and pulse until creamy (or finely dice the chipotle pepper and then whisk in a bowl with all ingredients.) Set aside.
• Once noodles are cooked, place the noodles in a bowl with the avocado and corn. Place the same skillet back over medium heat and crack in the eggs. Cook sunny side up or over easy, to your preference.
• Divide the noodle mixture and top each with an egg and a dollop of the chipotle yogurt.

The post Plantain Noodles with Avocado, Corn and Chipotle Greek Yogurt appeared first on Inspiralized.

I’m writing this post as I’m defrosting these quesadillas. The smells coming from the oven are making my mouth water.

Plantains are a very starchy vegetable, which makes them perfect for “molding” into things. Like with those plantain cups from Thursday. Oops, bad planning on my part! Today, I’ve made a Paleo plantain-rice “tortilla” (made with just plantain, egg and coconut flakes) that’s one of my most tastiest creations.

You’ll definitely be seeing more of these on the blog… and the cookbook (hint, hint.)

Since plantain is very starchy, you have to be careful if you’re going low-carb or you’re diabetic. In a medium zucchini, for example, there’s about 6 g of carbs. In one medium plantain, there’s about 57 g.

These are just too good to give up (the flavor is incredible!), so just make room in your daily nutritional intake to fit these in.

The coconut flakes and plantain are a match made in heaven – the sweetness of the coconut matches the savoriness of the plantain. While the plantain roasts in the oven, some of its sweetness comes through also.

The consistency is perfect – not too stiff and a bit pliable. If you try to fold these (like a taco), they’ll most likely break in half, unless you’re careful. I tired this, actually. The first time, they broke in half. With the second batch, I  roasted them for about 13 minutes instead of 15-17 and they were a bit softer, so they worked like soft tacos!

I call this a quesadilla, but really, it’s a cheesy-delicious chicken sandwich with Mexican seasonings. The Mexican spices are simple but robust – cumin, oregano, salt, chili powder and garlic.

Adding seasonings to food is a low-calorie, low-sugar, low-carb, low-fat way to add strong flavor to your food. I never cook with butter, so I’ve learned to effectively use fresh herbs and spices to compensate.

As for these “tortillas” – they’re much easier to make than they look. All you do is take one plantain, spiralize it, rice it and combine it with an egg and a tablespoon of coconut flakes. Then, you place it on a baking tray and mold it into a “tortilla” and just bake it for 15-17 minutes.

Voila – two gluten-free and Paleo tortillas ready to be piled up with chicken, veggies and most importantly, cheese.

These quesadillas are thick – you can spread out the plantain-rice mixture even more to create a thinner “tortilla.” Remember – they puff up slightly as the plantain cooks with the egg and hardens.

I really hope you all try this – and hashtag #inspiralized or @inspiralized so I can see!

And, to circle around back, they can be frozen and defrosted for later – and are even better that way.

Nutritional Information & Recipe

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Gluten Free Plantain Rice “Quesadillas”

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 1 quesadilla

Ingredients

• 1 medium-ripe plantain peeled, Blade C
• 1 tbsp coconut flakes
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 heaping cup of small-cubed chicken
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1/4 small avocado peeled, insides small-cubed
• 1/2 large jalapeno seeds removed, finely diced
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese mix

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place your plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. Then, add the rice into a bowl with the egg and coconut flakes. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine thoroughly.
• Place down a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and coat the paper with cooking spray. Roll half of the plantain mixture into a bowl and place down on one side of the baking tray. Push the ball down on the parchment paper and smooth out with fingers until its spread out evenly into a circular shape. Round the edges with your fingers. Repeat on the other side of the baking tray with the rest of the plantain mixture. NOTE: if you'd like to make thinner, larger "tortillas" - use two baking trays to really spread out the mixture.
• Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until hardened.
• While the plantain mixture is baking, place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add in your chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through and starting to brown.
• Add in the onions, red bell pepper, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado and spices (cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder). Cook for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently, or until vegetables have softened. Set aside.
• When the plantain tortillas are done, place one in a large skillet over medium heat and top with half of the cheese. Top with as much of the chicken mixture as you can fit on and then top with remaining cheese. Top finally with the other tortilla. Let cook for about 2 minutes, pressing down firmly on the top of the "quesadilla" with a spatula. Then, carefully flip over and repeat for another 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
• Remove from heat, let cook for 30 seconds and then slice into fourths.

The post Gluten Free Plantain Rice “Quesadillas” appeared first on Inspiralized.

If you’re like most, you’ve been Googling like crazy, trying to figure out what to get your mom/mum/ma/mommy for Mother’s Day.

Common search terms might be “gifts for moms,” “mother’s day present,” or just frankly, “what should I get my mom for Mother’s Day?”

Well, if you’re budget is beat and you still want to make your mother feel special, do what I do: throw her a brunch.

But of course, you want to make her a healthy brunch. After all, she’s your mother – you want her to feel great on her big day.

But where will you find healthy recipes that aren’t tasteless and stuffed with “sugar free” and “low fat” processed ingredients?

See where I’m going with this?

There are plenty of recipes at Inspiralized.com that are easy to make and very impressive – such as my Tortilla Espanola from this week, my Gruyere Potato Noodle Casserole (you forgot about that already, didn’t you?) or my Quinoa-Beet Rice.

If you’re looking for some finger-food type recipes suitable for a brunch with your whole family, today’s your lucky day.

I’ve made muffin “cups” using plantain “rice,” filled them with avocado, mango, cilantro and lime juice and topped them all off with a fresh whipped coconut cream.

They’re vegetarian, Paleo and gluten-free. These brunch muffins are perfect for dessert! Make them a bit smaller (ie mini muffin tins) and serve them as appetizers.

They key to these plantain cups is to fill the muffin tins with a thin layer of plantain mixture – if it’s too thick, the cup will overpower the yummy mango-avocado “salsa.” Don’t pack the bottom of the muffin tin too compactly!

Regardless, these are delicious – and I think whipped coconut cream is my new favorite topping…. which is dangerous, for many reasons.

Also, I learned from Giada a couple weeks ago that the key to easy removal of contents from muffin tins is by placing a piece of sliced parchment paper in the tin before placing in your mixture. Worked like a charm!

As if these plantain cups weren’t enough, I’ve teamed up again with four lovely ladies for a roundup of Mother’s Day Brunch ideas:

Top left: Citrus Quinoa Salad from FitFoodieFinds.com

Top right: BLT Crustless Quiche from NoshandNourish.com

Bottom left: Mocha Almond Pancakes from TheHealthyMaven.com

Bottom middle: Lemon Blueberry Muffins from LexisCleanKitchen.com

Bottom right: Today’s recipe!

Nutritional Information & Recipe

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Whipped Coconut Cream Plantain Cups with Mango and Avocado

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 medium-ripe plantain peeled, Blade C
• 1.5 tbsp coconut flakes
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white
• 1 can coconut milk refrigerated for at least 2 hours
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp honey
• 3/4 cup chopped mango
• 1/2 cup chopped avocado
• 1.5 tbsp chopped cilantro
• juice of 1 lime

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place your plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. Place the "rice" in a bowl and add in the egg and coconut flakes. Toss to combine thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Cut 6 inch strips of parchment paper and line each muffin tin with the strips. Coat with cooking spray.
• Place 1/6th of the plantain mixture into each muffin tin and spread out into the tin in a thin layer, filling the sides of the cups. Be careful to leave the "insides" of the tin open to place in the mango salad later.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
• While the cups are baking, remove your coconut milk from the refrigerator and scoop off the top layer of "cream" (it should resemble cream and be thick.) Place the coconut cream, vanilla and honey into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 5 minutes or until "whipped." Alternatively, use a stand mixer on high to whip. Once done, set aside.
• After your whipped cream is done, mix your mango, avocado, cilantro and lime juice together. Set aside.
• Once the cups are baked, fill each with equal portions of the mango mixture and top with a dollop of the coconut whipped cream. There will be leftover cream - save for future use!

The post Whipped Coconut Cream Plantain Cups with Mango and Avocado appeared first on Inspiralized.

I am like a proud mother today, boasting about my child winning a spelling bee.

Today, I’m presenting you with the winning recipe from the Inspiralized Community’s March Recipe Challenge.

Not only do I love this recipe, but I’m overjoyed by how creative you all are with spiralizing and honored that you share your creations every day with me, via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and now, the Inspiralized Community.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s so exciting for me to see others spiralizing. Whether you’re spiralizing now because you’re Inspiralized or you’ve been spiralizing for years, it makes me happy.

If you don’t already make sure you hashtag “Inspiralized” (#inspiralized) when posting a picture up on Instagram or just @Inspiralized on any form of social media – it makes my day to go through all of the tagged spiralized dishes. I’ve even been inspired by some of your recipes!

But today’s about the community. I created the community mainly because I wanted all of you to have an area to share your ideas, thoughts, recipes and love for spiralizing.

Every month, I host a “Recipe Challenge.” In this recipe challenge, I offer a theme and ask you all to take the month to create a recipe and post it up. Then, I let my blog readers vote on their favorite recipe.

Finally, the winning recipe is recreated by me, photographed and posted up on Inspiralized.com.

Liz’s winning recipe is: Spicy Mexican Chicken with Plantain Rice & Avocado Mango Salsa.

This meal has everything – spiciness, savoriness, healthiness and flavorfulness. Every bite has mega taste! However, if you don’t like spicy, this dish isn’t for you – it’s got a big kick! The avocado helps soften the spiciness and adds great texture, while the mango balances everything out with its natural sweetness.

I really enjoyed making this recipe – it’s definitely one of those recipes that takes a bit of time to prepare, but is totally worth it. It saved perfectly in the fridge, so it is a handy recipe for dinner and a few days’ worth of lunch leftovers.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe (hope you don’t mind, Liz!), so if you want to see her original, make sure you head on over to the community and check it out in the March Recipe Challenge forum.

Changes include:

1. I omitted the Greek yogurt – I thought it took away from the flavor of the rest of the dish and wasn’t needed. If you don’t like spicy, keep the Greek yogurt, it balances out the spice.
2. I cut down the measurements for the chicken spices to bring the heat down a bit (I felt that 2 tbsp chili powder and 1 tsp red chili flakes was too much). If you like very spicy, keep it as is.
3. I mixed the spices together first before adding to the chicken, instead of adding them one after another. This offers a better balance of flavor.
4. I didn’t use honey.
5. I added measurements to a few of the ingredients, for ease of follow, as well as reorganizing the directions so they are more step-by-step.
6. I omitted the chili powder from the plantain rice, to take down the heat again. If you don’t mind spicy, keep it.
7. I omitted the cilantro from the plantain rice, since the salsa has plenty of it and the coriander in the rice is essentially cilantro.

Thank you so much to Liz for creating this recipe and to all of the other entrants! I cannot wait to see what you all come up with for the April Recipe Challenge, which is for The Perfect Side Dish. The contest closes on April 30^th.

If you’re not part of the Inspiralized Community already, click here to join (it’s free!) The more people that join, the more exciting opportunities I’ll have for you all.

What do you think of Liz’s recipe?

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Spicy Chicken and Plantain Rice with Mango-Avocado Salsa (Recipe Challenge Winner!)

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

• For the Chicken:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• For Salsa:
• 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
• 1 avocado chopped
• 1 jalapeno seeds removed and finely minced
• zest and juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• For Plantain Rice:
• 3 medium-ripe plantains
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 a yellow onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Combine all of your ingredients for the salsa into a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Peel the plantains and spiralize them, using Blade C. Place the noodles in a food processor and pulse until the noodles become rice-like. Set aside.
• Mix all of your spices for the chicken in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil for the chicken. Cook until lightly browned and then add in the dry spice mixture and stir to coat the chicken. Then, add the chicken broth and turn down to a simmer, cooking for about 5 minutes. When done, plate into separate dishes for serving.
• While the chicken is cooking, place another large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil for the plantain rice. Then, add in the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in the plantain rice spices. Stir to combine and then add in the plantain rice, cook for 1 minute and then add in the chicken broth. Let reduce fully and add more broth if needed. Cook to your desired consistency, about 5 minutes.
• Top the dishes that have chicken in them with the plantain rice and top with mango-jalapeno salsa. Enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Liz's Recipe on the Inspiralized Community

The post Spicy Chicken and Plantain Rice with Mango-Avocado Salsa (Recipe Challenge Winner!) appeared first on Inspiralized.

I have to be careful about my sweet tooth. It’s my biggest frenemy.

I love love love sweets. I’m a big cupcake, frosting and chocolate brownie kind of gal. I’m not much into chewy fruity candies or ice cream, but put a red velvet cupcake or molten lava cake in front of me and I’m a goner.

Luckily, I’ve found a solution: no-bake cacao treats!

Whenever I make my grocery list for the week, Lu always says “put some healthy desserts and snacks on there.” It’s tough to find clean-eating friendly desserts! After multiple fails and devouring of cookies, I looked into no-bake treats that could be made in batches and quickly (for those cravings!)

Enter medjool dates. Lu actually pits them and mixes them with walnuts for dessert. Medjool dates are so sweet and sticky, they totally satisfy that craving.

But, where’s the chocolate?

Enter cacao powder. Cacao is a type of tropical tree that produces chocolate in raw form. Unsweetened cacao can be found at grocery stores and is a total God-send. Cacao powder gives you that chocolate taste without the added sweeteners and sugars. I actually feel cheated that I didn’t know about this in college. It would have saved me 15 pounds!

After playing around with flours and oats, I thought to myself “what about something spiralized?”

Enter plantain rice. Plantain rice is savory and sweet all at the same time. By toasting the plantain slightly, you get rid of that pre-ripe bitterness. Plus, the texture of toasted plantain rice is a bit hearty and sticky, thanks to the starchiness of this fruit.

When the plantains, cacao, medjool dates and coconut flakes are mixed together, the result is the absolute perfect sweet dessert. Then, the salted pepitas really put the cherry on top.

Next time you’re craving something sweet, make a few batches of these rice balls. They can be eaten immediately or placed in the refrigerator to harden a bit more. Of course, I couldn’t wait for the chilling process, so I stuffed a few in my mouth (remember this Instagram picture?) and they just really really hit the spot.

With a little creativity and planning ahead, you can say goodbye to those chocolate-induced comas and say hello to a thin waist and a happy, satisfied tummy.

Who else likes no-bake treats?

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Cacao Plantain Rice Balls with Pepitas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 5 -6 balls

Ingredients

• 1 plantain peeled, Blade C
• 5 medjool dates pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cacao
• 2 tsp de-shelled roasted and salted pepitas
• 3 tsp coconut flakes

Instructions

• Place your plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until like rice. Place into a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes, tossing frequently.
• Place the plantain rice, medjools, cacao and coconut flakes into a food processor and pulse until sticky and smooth.
• Place the mash into a bowl and add in the pepitas. Mix with hands to incorporate the pepitas. Then, form 5-6 balls with hands and place each onto a plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then enjoy or enjoy immediately.

The post Cacao-Coconut Plantain Rice Balls with Pepitas appeared first on Inspiralized.

I don’t know what has gotten into me, but lately, I’ve been spiralizing plantains like crazy.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed that I’ve been experimenting a lot with this fruit. Like, here, there and everywhere.

So, sorry if it’s plantain overload on Inspiralized.

Eating plantains helps ease the woes of this long-lasting winter. I feel suddenly tropical!

Plantains have this magical ability to change flavor depending on ripeness. If you see a yellow plantain, it’s ripened and sweet. If you see a green plantain, it’s starchy and used for more savory dishes.

Lu and I have this favorite chain taco place called The Taco Truck in Hoboken. Every single time (I swear!) we go there for a quick dinner, Lu orders the exact same thing: two orders of chicken tacos with guacamole and a side of platanos fritos. They’re fried plantains with creamy sugar.

I can’t bring myself to try those plantains, just because they’re doused in sugar, but I love plantains otherwise.

While I’m into plantains lately, my next stop is yucca. Actually, I can’t believe I haven’t given yucca a shot. They don’t sell it at my local grocery store, so I never think to make a recipe for it.

I wish that there was a Whole Foods closer to me. There’s nothing better than meandering through the aisles of a Whole Foods. You always pick something up that you’ve never seen or tried before.

Alas, I’ve managed to be creative despite my mundane local grocery store chain.

These plantain rice balls are messy to make, but worth all the hassle. By toasting the plantain first, the consistency of the plantain hardens and locks in flavor. When the “rice” is combined with the egg, coconut and breadcrumbs and baked with the goat cheese, the texture is incomparable to anything else.

The goat cheese warms in the oven and pairs nicely with the sweetness of the coconut flakes and cooked plantain.

These rice balls make the perfect party appetizer. They would work well just with cocktails, too! Mojitos and plantain rice balls, anyone? Just serve up plantain rice balls and cerveza and you’ll have your party guests begging to come back.

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Goat Cheese Stuffed Toasted Plantain Rice Balls

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5 -6 rice balls

Ingredients

• 2 medium-ripe plantains peeled, Blade C
• 1 piece of whole wheat toast
• 1 egg beaten
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp coconut flakes
• 5-6 tsp goat cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place your spiralized plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until made into rice-like "bits." Set aside.
• Place your piece of bread into a food processor and pulse until made into breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Place your plantain rice in the skillet and toast until the plantain bits are a darker color and begin to slightly brown. When done, pour out into a mixing bowl.
• In the bowl, add in 3 tbsp of the breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and coconut flakes. Mix to combine thoroughly.
• Over a baking tray lined with parchment paper, mold plantain mixture into balls. Lay each down on the baking tray. Then, take a tsp of goat cheese, roll into a ball and stuff into the rice ball. At this point, you will have to re-mold the rice balls.
• Repeat until all of the mixture is used.
• Place the rice balls into the oven and cook for 13-15 minutes. Enjoy!

The post Goat Cheese Stuffed Toasted Plantain Rice Balls appeared first on Inspiralized.

Not only was Tuesday my birthday and the day I announced my cookbook deal with Clarkson Potter, today is Lu and my two-year anniversary.

In celebration, I’m sharing the recipe I’ve been teasing you all with on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s gluten-free, vegan, Paleo and like nothing you’ve ever tried before (unless you’ve had plantain rice pudding before, that is).

I’m writing this post on my actual birthday, so I can’t comment on how I’ll be spending my anniversary (because I don’t know – that’s Lu’s job). Most likely, it’ll include champagne and great food.

Before I tell you the story of how Lu and I met (it’s only appropriate), let’s talk about this rice pudding. First off, it only has five ingredients and somehow, the flavors are so incredible, you’d think this would be some fancy schmancy dessert at a Michelin rated restaurant.

The medium-ripe plantains give the dish a sweetness that’s subtle, not overwhelming. The cinnamon gives the pudding that familiar aroma and comforting taste (like a pourridge) and the raisins and coconut add more sweetness and texture.

The best part? It takes 10-15 minutes to make! Honestly, who has the time to bake a cake these days? Everyone’s all about the mug cakes now! Ditch the microwave and the unhealthy ingredients. Instead, make this rice pudding. And then come back and let me know what you thought.

Now, for Lu and I…

The Story

I used to work at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ. I was the Director of Hospitality, where I oversaw the entire hotel complex there, from reservations to ordering of bed linens. Any-who, part of my job was to help brides coordinate their wedding day logistics, including all of their wedding guests’ accommodations, their bridal suite, etc.

Lu’s brother, Jose, got married to Christina (now Lu’s sister in law) at the club, in September 2011. However, I never actually went to the wedding or met any of the bridal party (including the groom!) I had taken that week off for a vacation (very rare).

I stopped working at the club in January 2012. Fast forward to March 2012. I get an e-mail from my old coworker Liz, who happens to be one of my friends and still worked at the club at the time. She forwarded me an e-mail that had come through my old work e-mail. It was from Christina (the bride, now wife of Lu’s brother) saying this:

“Hey Girl! Long time no talk. How have you been? I always wonder if I am going to run into you in Hoboken! Hope all is well with you. I am sure you are getting ready to ramp up the season at the club again!!! I had a quick question for you. Are you around at all today?”

Remembering how awesome Christina was, of course I responded back and asked her what was up, to which she responded with:

So I always used to tell my brother in law that I wanted him to meet you and he was dating this girl I was not jazzed about….but that is NO MORE! I don’t know if you are dating someone or if you even have any interest, but if you might be let me know! I could send you a picture before you decide anything for pre-approval. Lol

My response (don’t judge – I’m 5’8″!):

Ha! You’re so sweet – yes, I’m terribly single. As single as they get! Send his picture my way He’s got to be taller than 6’1″, that’s my cut off haha.

Her response:

Nice! Well he is 6’4″ so ur good there! I will send u a picture!!

Then, she sends me a picture of Lu. I agreed to meet with him, of course. Then, Christina gave him my e-mail address. Reading through our first e-mails makes me laugh every single time.

His first e-mail to me, ever:

Hey Ali,

I got your email from my sister in law, Christina. How are you? Wanted to send a quick hello and see if you wanted to get together some time next week for a drink. Let me know what you think.

Lu

He had me at “Hey Ali.”

Long long story short, we ended up going on a date on April 6, 2012 and today is obviously our two year anniversary.

How’s that for a story?

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Coconut Plantain “Rice” Pudding

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 medium-ripe plantain peeled, Blade C
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1-2 tsp coconut flakes

Instructions

• Place your plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until made into rice-like bits. Place into a medium saucepan, along with 1 cup of the almond milk.
• Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. At around 5 minutes, the rice should have reduced. Whenever it does reduce (almost starts sticking to the bottom), add in the other 1/3 cup of milk. Let reduce, stirring occasionally until creamy.
• Once done, remove from heat and add in the cinnamon, coconut flakes and raisins. Stir until the cinnamon dissolves into the pudding.
• Pour into a bowl and enjoy!

The post Coconut Plantain “Rice” Pudding appeared first on Inspiralized.

I’m breaking all the “Meatless Monday” rules today and offering up a gluten-free and Paleo plate of meat.

In celebration of me starting Spanish classes this past Thursday at Fluent City in Manhattan, I’ve decided to combine Caribbean, Mexican and Spanish flavors into one dish!

Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with plantains, avocado and carnitas, right?

I spent 10 years learning French. Oui, oui, c’est vrais. (Yes, yes, that’s right).

Then I met Lu. Not only is he the love of my life and a tall glass of water, he is Hispanic. I’ve mentioned that before – his mother is Colombian, his father is Dominican and he was born in Puerto Rico. He lived there until he was about nine years old and then he moved to the beautiful state of New Jersey.

How we met is a story for another blog post. Long story short, his brother got married at Trump National Golf Club, where I used to work. The bride introduced us months later.

Since becoming closer with Lu and his family, I’ve obviously gone to Puerto Rico a couple of times to visit his family (the sisters and mother still live there, but his brother lives in Hoboken, NJ).

During these visits, everyone speaks in Spanish. Everyone. Luckily, they also speak English, but when they’re all together, they’re obviously going to speak in their language – the language they can express themselves in most aptly.

I always feel bad when everyone’s having a conversation in Spanish and I walk up and they have to stop and switch to English. I feel bad because I feel disrespectful. Why shouldn’t I learn Spanish? If I want to spend time with Lu’s family and really show my love for him and his background, the thing to do is learn the language.

Plus, I’m a nerd. I love learning. I was always a strong student and find it exciting to learn something totally new. It’s tough to come by that post-college. Luckily, my adventures in the kitchen and starting a company teach me something new every day.

All I have to say is, Lu, this better be the real deal, ya know what I mean?

Enter Fluent City. They offer reasonably priced group language classes for adults on weeknights after work. They offer French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hebrew and Japanese classes in New York City (Midtown Manhattan and Brooklyn), Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Actually, I took one of their courses in French in Brooklyn (to refresh my knowledge) last year and had a wonderful experience.

The class is right in Times Square on Thursdays, 7:30-9:30pm. So, if you’re trying to @ me on Twitter or Instagram during those hours, I won’t be responsive!

My first class was so much fun! The instructor breaks everything down in an easy and approachable manner. His name is Joan (with an accent mark on the o).

The instructor’s native tongue is Spanish, but he was born in Miami so he doesn’t have an accent, which helps with he’s translating.

After the class, I came home and told Lu everything I learned! He was very impressed, I think. We even woke up the next morning and I said, “Buenos dias!” (need that accent mark on the i!) He said some other stuff too, but I had no idea what it meant. We haven’t gotten that far in my class just yet.

Overall, it was an awesome first class – I learned the alphabet and pronunciation and although I struggled a bit with my French “accent” getting in the way, I think I’ll have it down by the end of the 10-week course.

15% Discount at Fluent City for Inspiralized Readers

For more information on Fluent City, visit their website. If you live in any of the cities they serve, I highly recommend their classes. PLUS, Fluent City is offering Inspiralized readers 15% off adult language classes! Check out all upcoming class schedules at Fluentcity.com and select the class that works best for your schedule.

Use the discount code INSPIRALIZED14 during checkout (be sure to click “apply promo code” to make sure the discount sticks!). Act fast – offer ends April 21, 2014!

Now, for the recipe. Well, it goes without saying that this should have your mouth watering from start to finish and after! Make sure to check out this tutorial on spiralizing plantains before you tackle the recipe.

Note: Although Fluent City compensated me for this Spanish Level 1 course, all opinions are my own.

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Carnitas and Avocado-Plantain Rice with Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 44 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• For the pork:
• 1 pound pork preferably shoulder, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt to taste about 1/4 tsp
• 3 tsp olive oil optional
• For the rest:
• 1/2 white onion chopped in half
• 2 bay leaves
• juice of 1 orange
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• juice of 1/2 lime
• For the rest:
• 3 green plantains
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 2 avocados insides cubed
• For the salsa verde:
• 2 medium tomatillos leaves removed
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp diced jalapeno
• 2 tbsp chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro

Instructions

• Place your pork in a bowl along with the oregano, cumin, chili powder and optional olive oil. Mix together to coat the pork pieces. When done, place them in a large saucepan.
• Add the onions, bay leaves, lime juice, orange juice, and garlic cloves into the saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the pork by 1". Bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover loosely and cook for 20 minutes. Then, uncover and cook for another 20 minutes, giving a stir. If the liquid absorbs completely before the 40 minutes is up, add more water (about 1/2 cup at a time). When done, remove from heat and remove the bay leaves.
• While the pork mixture is cooking, spiralize your plantains. Then, place the noodles into a food processor and pulse briefly until made into rice-like bits. Set aside.
• Place the tomatillos into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tomatillos turn light green. Once done, pour into a colander. Then, place the tomatillos, lime juice, salt, jalapeno, onion and cilantro into a food processor and blend until a salsa. Taste and adjust to your preference with more salt, lime juice, etc. Set aside.
• 10 minutes before your pork is done, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Then, add in the garlic. Let cook for 30 seconds and then add in the plantain rice. Stir and pour in half of the chicken broth. Stir and let plantain rice reduce. Once reduced, add in the remaining chicken broth and let reduce again. Taste and if the consistency is right, stir in the avocado and cook for three more minutes. If not, add in more chicken broth and continue to reduce. When done, divide onto three plates.
• Top the plantain-avocado rice with the carnitas and then top each with salsa verde. Enjoy!

Notes

How to spiralize a plantain: https://inspiralized.com/2014/02/25/how-to-spiralize-a-plantain-plantain-rice-and-beans/

The post Carnitas and Avocado-Plantain Rice with Tomatillo Salsa Verde + 15% off @FluentCity! appeared first on Inspiralized.

Until I started dating Lu, I never really gave plantains much thought. One of the few times I’ve ever seen him use our stovetop (and when I mean few, I mean 2-3 in total), it was to boil plantains for breakfast.

What kind of girlfriend who I be if I didn’t try to spiralize a plantain for my Caribbean-born man? Well, it’s possible and the plantain works famously as rice. Hence, today’s plantain rice and beans.

Actually, I made a sofrito with lightly fried plantains over the summer and man, were they outrageously tasty. But, never did I make a recipe for spiralized plantain.

In the banana family, plantains are higher in starch and lower in sugar than bananas. When plantains are fully ripe (yellow like a banana), they’re sweet. When they’re unripe (green), they’re used for savory cooking.

Since they’re so starchy, they’re sticky when they come out of the spiralizer. Unfortunately, they’ll fall apart if you boil them. They’re truly mind-blowing as plantain shoestring fries (fried or baked).

But, since bikini bodies are made in the winter, we’re laying off the frying and opting for Inspiralized rice. By spiralizing the plantain and placing its noodles in a food processor, we get fluffy and sticky rice that has the savoriness of plantains.

For my first dish with plantain rice, I figured I’d keep it simple and do a tomato rice and beans, simmered with chicken broth. This way, the plantain taste really shines through.

It’s very important to choose your plantains for spiralizing wisely. Most plantains are curved and not straight. However, if you search the basket of plantains at your local market, hopefully you can find some straighter ones. Pick the straightest you can find.

If they’re all curvy, don’t stress. When you prepare it to spiralized, you may just have to readjust it on the spiralizer as you go (to realign it so that it doesn’t wobble).

How to Spiralize a Plantain

Start with a thick and straight plantain (as straight as you can find).

Slice the ends off of the plantain.

Slice the plantain down the middle, lengthwise.

Chop the plantain in half.

Peel the plantain open, carefully. Remove all of the outer skin.

Load the plantain halves into the spiralizer.

Spiralize!

One plantain yields about 1.5 cups of spiralized noodles.

Now, to make the rice, we have one last step:

Place the noodles into a food processor and pulse until made into rice-like bits.

Wow, that was easy. And look, we got a large cup of fluffy plantain rice.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and fun to cook with. However, beware if you’re sticking to a low-carb diet or are diabetic, plantains are very high in carbohydrates. Just portion control.

How do we cook the rice? Well, the plantains are very starchy, so the consistency is a bit stickier (kind of like sticky rice!) By cooking it with some chicken broth, we get an infusion of savory chicken flavor which also helps soften the plantains and cook them.

The rice is cooked with black beans, some Spanish spices and crushed tomatoes. Simple, delectable and easy to save for leftovers. Take a smaller portion and serve it alongside some carnitas or some blackened cod or tilapia and you’ve got yourself an exotic meal without the exotic prices or foreign cooking techniques.

Poor Lu, he would’ve loved this one. However, I’m already brainstorming other plantain rice options: meatballs, rice cakes, sushi and rice balls. Can’t wait!

Do you like plantains? 

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How to Spiralize a Plantain & Plantain “Rice” and Beans

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 19 minutes minutes

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

• 2 large plantains peeled, Blade C
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 3/4 cup diced yellow onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can of black beans rinsed and pat-dried

Instructions

• In batches, place your plantain noodles into a food processor and pulse until made into rice-like bits. Set aside.
• Place a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add in your olive oil. Once the oil heats, add in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds and then add in the onion. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in the plantain rice. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, Adobo and cumin.
• Cook the plantains for about 2 minutes and then add in the chicken broth. Let fully reduce and then take the tomatoes from the can and crush them with your hands over the skillet and into the rice. Pour in half the juices from the can and discard the rest.
• Add in the black beans and cook for another 2-3 minutes. When done, divide into bowls and enjoy!

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