When I was a kid, my mom always told me that if I wanted to grow up to be a good and whole person, to surround myself with good, hard-working people. And that I would know who those people are because they would rejoice in my happiness and success, as if it were their own.
In other words, true friendship is not measured by convenience, or that which comes easy. The relationships in our lives require an equal give and take. Human nature sometimes has a tendency to test our virtue, causing us to take a step back and ask ourselves if we are taking for granted the ones we love. If the answer is yes, what can we do differently?
In my own experience, I know that I'm challenged in finding the time to live. At different times in my life, I've gotten so wrapped up in my responsibilities that I've existed but I found that I'd forgotten how to live.
At other times this sense of numbness was caused not by a grueling schedule but by heartbreak or betrayal. Then one day I heed to my own advice and asked myself if I was taking my blessings for granted?
How many opportunities do I have before me that I can take to their full potential? My kids, friends and family deserve the best of me. And that is where I revert back to my Mom's advice. I surround myself with good, positive and supportive people to influence me out of my routine, and bring myself back to life.
I needed to find a balance between making time to enjoy myself without forsaking the things that I've chosen as a priority. My priority is being a mother, who offers her kids what my mom gave me- a sense of self, tradition and strong roots.
These priorities that I've chosen, require a lot of time. That is why I am not at all shy about convenience in the kitchen. The more free time that I have to spend with my loved ones, the more I enjoy life.
Let me outline for you some of my favorite kitchen items that make my life easier;
- Food Processor: Let me count the ways! I use this to make Sofrito, Mojito, to slice tomatoes, onions, celery, eggplant, and potatoes perfectly every time. Also to grate. This is my favorite kitchen gadget of all time!
- Recipe: I even make quick meatballs in here too! I throw in ground turkey, garlic cloves, basil, egg, breadcrumbs and one packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix (after I sift out the powder and discard the large pieces of dry onion.)
- Rice Cooker: The rice cooks quickly, evenly and the same every time. It doesn't stick to the pot, which is easy to clean and a lot more convenient. I love how many varieties of rice dishes you can make in a rice cooker. You can also use it to steam veggies simultaneously as your rice is cooking. Talk about quick!
- FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer: You save money with the ability to buy in bulk and store almost any food you can think of. You also save time by marinating meats and storing them for when you're ready to use. At any given time in my freezer you will find all the preliminary prep already done, such as pre-cut vegetables which are stored frozen.
- Deep-Fryer: In minutes you can make Tostones, Maduros, Empanadas, Alcapurrias, Fried Chicken... I make the empanadas and alcapurrias ahead of time and freeze them until they are ready to fry. You can also freeze
- Recipe: Tostones: slice green plantains, fry golden, pre-smash and freeze without the second round of frying. When you're ready to make them, you just have to take out from the freezer and fry them at that time.
- Slow-Cooker/Crock-Pot: I had no time to make beans from anything unless it came from a can. Until I discovered that I can make more than just stew and Chili in my slow-cooker.
- Recipe: I buy dry beans, add about 4-5 whole garlic cloves, 1-3 packets of Goya Ham Flavored seasoning, tomato paste, Sazon, Adobo, purple onion, Sofrito and/or fresh herbs such as cilantro & coriander. I leave all that simmering in the slow cooker, all day long. When done, a delicious pot of homemade Puerto Rican beans like my mom makes.
- Recipe: Something else that I love making in a slow cooker is Pulled Pork with Dinosaur BBQ Sauce (my favorite). I don't add the sauce until the very end, which led a light bulb to go off one day. When I cook pork loin in my slow cooker it tastes just like Pernil, until I add the BBQ sauce. That's because I cook the pork, after washing it in lemon and vinegar with water, I marinade it with garlic, Adobo, Sazon, Oregano, more lemon, Sofrito and pepper. I throw the pork loin in my slow cooker with sliced purple onion and a little bit more Sofrito. I let it cook all day long... just like pernil but great if I don't have the time to watch it and do the aluminum foil thing.
- Now, if I buy a Pork Shoulder, which is the cut of meat that Pernil is, I slice the "Cuerito" (pork rind layer) off, marinade that separately and place in a Ziploc Freezer bag in the refrigerator. Once the pork shoulder is cooked in the slow cooker (as noted above), then I place the 'Cuerito" on a cookie sheet and let that get golden and crisp. And that is my Pernil shortcut. You put it in the slow cooker in the morning, and come back in the evening to a moist, and deliciously infused pernil that melts in your mouth.
- Citrus Juicer: Costs about $6 for a hand juicer, but it's so easy to use. There's no substitute for fresh-squeezed citrus.
My Kitchen Pantry Top 20 Staples
If you keep these on hand, you will have a vast array of flavorful possibilities to work into meats, seafood, soups, salads, rice dishes and desserts.
- Lemons/Lime
- Purple Onions
- Red Potatoes
- Peppers (multi-colored & sweet)
- Herbs: Cilantro, Scallions, Coriander & Bay Leaves
- Spices: Adobo, Sazon, Chicken Bouillon, Goya Ham Seasoning, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Annato
- Mangoes
- Oranges
- Avocadoes
- Pineapple
- Platanos
- Long grain rice
- Grape tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- White & Red Wine (for cooking)
- Olive Oil
- Mojito (make your own with olive oil, fresh-squeezed lime, a spoonful of homemade sofrito, salt & pepper)
- Tomato sauce & paste
- Dry Beans
- Frozen vegetables (canned vegetables have almost no nutritional value, I recommend Frozen, they retain their freshness and most of their nutritional content)
Convenience in the kitchen is just one way to help us to have time to nurture relationships...
Muy buen provecho!
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