Green Rice (Arroz Verde)

For our Mexican feast this Saturday, I made some tasty and tangy green poblano rice, called arroz verde in Spanish, to accompany the pork chops. This is a simple dish that combines lots of fresh healthy veggies and herbs with spicy poblano pepper and rice. It makes a lovely accompaniment for grilled meats.

Poblanos are large, mild peppers, somewhere between a bell pepper and a jalepeno on the spicy scale. They add an intensity and heat to the dish without too much spice. Combined with cooling herbs, in this case cilantro and mint, it adds a lot of flavor to this simple dish.

There are many ways to make this dish, and you can use a number of different herbs, types of rice, or veggies to make it your own. I used the various things I had just grabbed at the farmers market: spinach, spring onions, baby leeks, cilantro and mint. But parsley and basil can also add some fabulous flavors. I made a big batch of this planning for some leftovers and I have not been disappointed. I brought some cold for lunch today and it was fantastic. I think next time I may add some nuts for crunch.

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Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

So, it's no secret that I LOVE Brussels sprouts. It seems about time that I created a salad with them. I decided to use roasted sprouts with some fresh spinach for a delicious and healthy Caesar salad. Cruciferous veggies have amazing health benefits and are packed with iron, vitamin A, and potassium. This is a really simple way to enjoy these veggies that has a ton of flavor without a ton of calories. Just add the Caesar dressing of your choice, I would recommend a light or low calorie version, creamy Caesar would smother the sprouts. Since the sprouts are roasted in olive oil, you only need a tiny bit of dressing to add flavor. Top with homemade croutons, some Parmesan and black pepper and you have a deceptively filling and tasty vegetarian meal.

Also: I joined the 21st Century today and opened a Twitter account! I am so excited to follow all my favorite bloggers and share things with my readers as well. You can click the follow link on the right sidebar or follow me at https://twitter.com/#!/GenYFoodie

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