Skinny Trick: Old world food

On the heels of my Mexico vacation, I wanted to share a secret skinny trick that has been in my maternal side of the family for generations.

Old World Food

It's so simple, but if you think about it - the key to good eating, (and staying skinny!) is keeping it simple. I'm guilty of having my processed stuff from time to time, but I find that when I really feel good about my body and what I'm putting into it, it's because I'm going back to the basics.

Much of my fashion choices, as well as my limited culinary skills are influenced by my Mexican heritage. (See an interview I did about it here for my gal-pal The Chirpy Bird.)

So... my childhood was always centered around food. Seven kids, not a lot of money. And a serious staple in our house was always rice and beans. We loved it! And the smell of this food in the kitchen, still gives me such sweet nostalgia that I can only hope to pass it along to my little one someday.

Juanita's Beans Rice & Beans

Beans

1/2 (32 ounce) bag of pinto beans

1/2 ( 32 ounce) bag of great northern beans

1 & 1/2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove peeled & cut into 3 pieces

1 small boiling onion cut in half

Sort beans for dirt and rocks. Put beans in a colander and rinse well. Place the rinsed beans in a bowl covered with water, and let them soak for about 10-15 minutes. (The longer the better, and the quicker they will cook.) Get a big pot and and place the onion and garlic in the bottom with about a cup of water. Heat it up to a soft boil (just enough to release the flavor), then add in the beans and enough water to cover about double the amount of the beans. The beans must always be covered with water. Cook on high for about an hour. Check often.

Spanish Rice
1 & 1/2 cups white rice (brown will not work for this recipe)
2 & 1/2 cups water
Three quarters of an 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 & 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil

Place rice and oil in a pot and brown lightly. Add salt and garlic powder. In a separate bowl mix the water and tomato sauce, mix well. Add the tomato/water mix to the rice and stir. Lower heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook for 20 min.

Serve with piping hot flour tortilla's!

I cut both recipes in half because my mother was always cooking for such a large family! This should serve about four. Enjoy!

Pix 2&3 Via Vogue Australia