ICONIC CHICA
  • Cover
  • Life & Wellness
  • Mental Health
  • Film & TV
  • Giveaways
  • Contact
  • Thoughts & Writings by JGF
  • Cover
  • Life & Wellness
  • Mental Health
  • Film & TV
  • Giveaways
  • Contact
  • Thoughts & Writings by JGF
Search

Our Follow Me 'Rich Beans' Recipe

8/31/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Being from the Caribbean, rice and beans can be an unapologetic go-to dish again and again. We love it! We put together a recipe for you for a taste of the Caribbean. Here is our Rich Beans recipe in both Spanish and English.

English

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vinegar of choice 
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon sofrito*
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 or less of chopped green olives
1/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup pumpkin chunks 
2 cups water
1.5 cups red beans
2 laurel leaves 
salt and spices to taste:
(about 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, turmeric, basil)
*Sofrito is a delicious mix of cilantro with other ingredients. Very popular in Puerto Rico.* You can omit this one or just add some fresh chopped cilantro instead! 


Spanish

Instructions

Heat a medium pot. When hot, start adding ingredients. 
  • Add vinegar, tomato sauce and paste, garlic, sofrito, onions, peppers, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, and sauté to get it mixed and caramelized
  • Add water, beans and pumpkin
  • ​Add laurel leaves and spices to taste
  • Cook at medium heat for about 45 minutes slightly covered
  • Then, stir, cover and simmer for 15-20 more minutes 
The longer you simmer, the richer and creamier it gets. ​
Picture

Ingredientes

Instrucciones

2 cucharadas de vinagre
2 cucharadas de salsa de tomate
2 cucharaditas de pasta de tomate
2 cucharaditas de ajo picado
1 1/2 cucharadita de sofrito *
1/4 taza de cebollas picadas
1/4 taza de pimientos verdes picados
1/4 o menos de aceitunas verdes picadas
1/4 taza de tomates triturados
1 taza de setas (champiñones)
1/2 taza de trozos de calabaza
2 tazas de agua
1 1/2 taza de habichuelas (frijoles) rojos
2 hojas de laurel
sal y especies a gusto:
(aproximadamente 1/4 cucharadita a 1/2 cucharadita de ajo en polvo, cebolla en polvo, sal, paprika, cúrcuma, albahaca)
* El sofrito es una deliciosa mezcla de cilantro entre otros ingredientes. Muy popular en Puerto Rico. * ¡Puede omitir este ingrediente o simplemente agregar un poco de cilantro fresco picado en su lugar!
Calienta una olla mediana. Cuando esté caliente, comience a agregar los ingredientes.
  • Agregue vinagre, salsa y pasta de tomate, ajo, sofrito, cebollas, pimientos, aceitunas, tomates, setas y saltea para mezclar y caramelizar
  • Agrega agua, frijoles y calabaza
  • Agregue hojas de laurel y especies a gusto
  • Cocine a fuego medio durante unos 45 minutos levemente tapado
  • Luego, tapa completamente, revuelva y cocine a fuego lento durante 15-20 minutos más​

Mientras más tiempo cocines a fuego lento, más rico y cremoso se vuelve.

¡Buen provecho!


Picture


by Jessica G Ferrer
@jessicagferrer
0 Comments

Simply Irresistible 'Simple Vegan Cookies' Recipe

8/26/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
It’s here! Our simply irresistible Simple Vegan Cookies recipe is here for you. Whether your goal is to satisfy your sweet tooth or ease your hormones, these vegan cookies fit any reason to indulge in a sweet and chocolatey bite.
Without further ado, here is the Simple Vegan Cookies recipe. ​
Picture

Ingredients:

1 + 1/4 cup light packed brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, semi-solid 
1 + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Feel free to add some diced almonds as well
Picture

Procedure:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • ​Remember to place some parchment paper on your baking tray.​
Within one medium sized bowl, combine wet ingredients:
#1 Whisk coconut oil, brown sugar, and applesauce
#2 Add coconut milk and vanilla extract
Separate bowl, combine dry ingredients:
#3 Whisk flour, salt, baking soda – mix for a good 2 minutes
#4 Combine both dry and wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon
#5 Mix in the vegan chocolate chips, and any other topping of choice
#6 Add mini scoops of dough onto baking tray, making sure to give sufficient separation between each doughball 
Bake for 10 minutes. Let them cool for about 5 minutes. And then devour.

Picture


​By Shekina G-F
0 Comments

Healthy Habits Online-based Employees and Entrepreneurs Need to Develop

8/18/2020

1 Comment

 
Work-from-home became the norm when the COVID-19 pandemic showed no signs of stopping. It is the smartest set-up for corporate employees: in cities where the virus outbreak is still rampant, the risk of catching the virus increases each time a person goes outside his or her home. Besides, most office employees can do their jobs at home because they really don't need much apart from a high-performance laptop or desktop computer and a fast and reliable Internet service.
​The work-from-home setup is a blessing as it allows many businesses to stay open even if the government imposes a lockdown. It also gave the employees more time to spend with their family, friends and even pets. Unfortunately, working from home can also create an environment that's bad for a person's physical and mental health.
Unhealthy Habits to Conquer
If you are currently working at home as a result of the pandemic, see if you are guilty of the following unhealthy habits:
  • Sitting slouched and hunched over when working on your laptop or desktop computer.
  • Forgetting to eat meals on time.
  • Forgetting to drink water as often as possible.
  • Working in dim light.
  • Putting your face too close to the computer monitor.
  • Not sleeping enough at night.
  • Not exercising.
These are the habits you need to break in order to achieve or maintain holistic health while staying and working at home. Counter these bad habits with habits that promote good health instead.

Habits That Promote Good Health

Here are examples of the healthy habits people working from home should develop:
1. Sit straight.  It often takes years for good posture to become second nature to a person. But you can start with one simple rule: sit straight. Whether your chair has a backrest or none, make it a habit to sit comfortably straight with your weight equally distributed on your buttocks. Feel how the muscles on your back support your spine. Push your shoulders back and slightly down, and lift your chin so it's almost parellel to the floor. If your computer screen is below your eyeline, just lower your gaze instead of slouching down to its level.

Simply correcting how you sit can already do a lot for your posture and health. It helps keep your spine in proper alignment with your hips, knees and limbs.

2. Don't stress over what you cannot control. There's already so much that's out of your hands during the pandemic. It's no use dwelling over them. Turn your attention instead to what you can control. Clean your home and give it a makeover so that it becomes a space you'll want to hang out in instead of thinking of when you can freely go outside again. Donate to credible charity causes instead of yelling at politicians on the TV. Hire a professional to open an account and do your Shopify website design so that you can sell your goods online instead of just waiting for the government to lift restrictions on "non-essential" businesses.

3. Hydrate and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Nutrition is paramount during a pandemic. A healthy body is just as vulnerable to the coronavirus as any, but the chances of beating the illness are higher among people without preexisting medical conditions. Conversely, the elderly and people with serious health problems have a higher risk of infection. Reduce your risk by eating nutritious food. Do what you can to boost your immune system and avoid diseases that will make you more vulnerable to the virus.

4. Get enough sleep. Quality and sufficient sleep are crucial to a person's physical and mental health. Poor sleep has been linked to many medical conditions, including diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, weak immune system, depression and anxiety. One of the downsides of being at home 24/7 is there's hardly any delineation between work and home life. As a result, people end up working well into the evening or dawn. A few more hours of productivity can be good for your career, but compromising your health in the process shouldn't be a price to pay.
​
Remote working is necessary at this time and there's no telling how long you will be working from home. Don't make it a reason for your health to deteriorate. Turn the four tips above into habits, and you'll notice a vast improvement in your health and mental well-being.

by IC Contributor
1 Comment

"Plátanos" a la Caribbean Recipe

8/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​It just happened. It was nearly time for dinner, and I had been working so much that I forgot to cook something. I remembered mom had sent me a green 
plantain that was ​beginning to ripen up, so I cut it open and made myself a quick and savory plant-based appetizer. We are calling this one, Plátanos (Plantains) a la Caribbean. 

Find the simple recipe below. 

Ingredients 
  • One large plantain, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 Cup chopped red onions 
  • 1/4 Cup chopped green bell peppers
  • 1 Tbsp chopped roasted red bell peppers
  • 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup water
  • 1/3 Tsp paprika
  • Salt to taste 
  • 1/2 Lime (or more to taste)

*You'll need a medium skillet for this one. 
Process
  • ​Heat the skillet at medium heat 
  • Toss onions, garlic, peppers into the skillet 
  • Add vinegar, moving ingredients while they bathe in hot vinegar
  • Add plantain chunks and stir
  • Now season with paprika and salt
  • Add water 
  • Lower heat and let the water evaporate (this should only take a few minutes)
  • Once the water has evaporated, serve immediately into a serving platter
  • Squeeze fresh lime 
Ready to eat! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

    To Film or Not to Film, That is the Question.

Submit

Picture



​by Jessica G Ferrer
0 Comments

Mini Almond Cake on Plant-Based Monday

8/10/2020

4 Comments

 
Picture
Our Plant-Based Monday involves a delicious miniature almond cake. If you’re looking to satisfy that sweet tooth, Mini Monds are the perfect choice, not to mention they’re vegan, so you can rest your mind knowing no animals were hurt in the process.
These Mini Monds are moist, sweet, and decadent.
Picture
​I was inspired by the wonderful Chelsweets’ Vegan Almond Cake (@chelsweets) whose recipes are delicious and always inspiring.
Picture
So, without further ado, here’s our Mini Monds recipe.
Picture

Ingredients

The Batter
Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose-flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp white rum
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
​The Frosting
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup vegan butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp almond milk at room temperature (or water)
This is a pretty simple recipe to follow and mix.
Vegan cakes, here we go...

​Process

  • ​​Preheat oven to 350° F
  • Grease the mold. (I sprayed my mini bundt molds with some coconut oil and wiped excess with a towel until the molds looked nice and shiny.)
  • I mixed the ingredients by hand. It is pretty simple and smooth.
  • First, combine all the dry ingredients, in no specific order. Be sure to whisk that very well, for about 3 minutes. Ok, you have that all done in a bowl, now what? Now we want to add the wet ingredients to this mixture, stirring them in one-by-one, in this order – oil, milk, extract, rum – mix, mix, and mix, then add the vinegar. Mix until you see no lumps (No lumps allowed!).
  • Fill up your pans, about a third of the height.
  • Bake for about 25 – 35 minutes. Check on cake at the 25-minute mark.
  • When complete, remove cakes, place on cooling rack for cooling, until ready to eat or decorate.
 
Now, the frosting.
  • You’ll want an electric mixer for this.
  • Vegetable shortening and butter, mix well until smooth.
  • Incorporate powdered sugar, cup by cup, until smooth – aka reaching frosting consistency.
  • It may look a little sandy, so now add the extracts. Mix a bit, now add the milk tbsp by tbsp.
  • Add color if desired.

Picture
Let me know how it turned out! <3
​​By Shekina G-F
4 Comments
    Quick Search: 
    Picture
    Award Winning Short Film, 'Unclear'
    Picture
    Poesía en Español

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    RSS Feed

ICONIC CHICA mag © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. 
Photo used under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan
  • Cover
  • Life & Wellness
  • Mental Health
  • Film & TV
  • Giveaways
  • Contact
  • Thoughts & Writings by JGF