A Goya Weekend

BzzAgent asked me to participate in a Goya campaign. No problem there, my pantry is usually filled with Goya products. My BzzKit arrived with a can of low-sodium black beans, a bottle of Goya Adobo, and a box of Goya Yellow Rice. So far, so good. I grew up fully aware of Goya products, since they advertise heavily in the NY area. I've been using them ever since I married way back in the dark ages of 1985. Goya has good quality products at a decent price. My BzzKit included coupons for various Goya products, so that was an added bonus.

I knew I wanted to use my crock pot on Saturday because I had a lot of running around to do. I worked 9AM - Noon, and then I had laundry, car repairs, shopping, etc. which all required me to spend time away from home. I had a pack of boneless pork ribs I wanted to make, so I started with that.

Into the crock pot went:
1 pack of boneless pork ribs
2 packets of Sazón Goya seasoning with Coriander and Annatto
2 cups of water

1 packet of Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic Soup Mix (You can use Lipton Onion but I was out of it).

I put it on low and headed out for the day's events.

When I came home I checked the pork, which smelled great, and set about making the rest of our dinner. I made the yellow rice according to directions. In 25 minutes you have perfect yellow rice. While the rice simmered, I started the beans.

Here's how I make the beans:

I get my frying pan out, put in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter.The butter won't burn if it's in the oil. I dice up some red onion (I used about a third of a large red onion) and I add a heaping tablespoon of chopped garlic. I sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil & butter, and when the onions are clear I add the beans and a few sprinkles of Adobo. I simmer this for 10-12 minutes. Sometimes I'll add 1/4 cup of white wine but I didn't this time.

Everything came out great! It was a hearty, satisfying meal which came together in a half-hour. Having the ribs cook in the slow cooker all day helped, but the rice and beans are a stove-top staple which cooks up quickly & easily.  Both the husband and the kid were happy with the results.

On Sunday I wanted to make some fun stuff for the big game. Is there anything better in life than bacon? How about bacon wrapped beef? I ran it by the husband, who sounded very appreciative. I'd love to make it with shrimp but I'm allergic. Again I ask, why couldn't I be allergic to something else instead???? How about Brussel Sprouts? I digress.

I had some beef cubes and bacon acquired at Costco, so I seasoned the beef cubes with Goya Adobo, wrapped each with a half strip of bacon, and secured them with toothpicks. I sauteed them for 10 minutes in olive oil (flipping them frequently), drained them, and served. They were a hit.  I had trouble keeping Charlotte the cat away from us as we were trying to eat them, but she knows a good thing when she picks up the scent.

Monday is back to work day, so I try to get something ready in the crock pot the night before. I had everything I needed to make a decent pasta sauce, which I love to let simmer.

My recipe:

1 lb. ground beef
4 cans  (8 oz) Goya Tomato sauce
1 can  (6 oz) Goya Tomato paste
1/2 red onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (we like a lot of garlic, adjust if you need to)
1 teaspoon Goya Adobo
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

I fry the ground beef until there's no more pink. I put all ingredients into the crock pot, stir, set for low and simmer for 10 hours minimum. When I get home tonight we'll have a great sauce to put over spaghetti.

I have been a loyal Goya user for years, and I like the variety of products that they offer. When I can't find everything at Stop & Shop, I'll head over to Twin Cities, a Supermarket on the Jersey City/Bayonne border which caters more to the Spanish-speaking market. There I find a huge selection of Goya products.

The Goya website if great if you're looking for recipes, coupons and product information. Try it out.