Pollo Guisado and Arroz con Leche Essay

Background & Meal Representation

For the entire meal, Pollo Guisado was chosen, which is a chicken stew popular in the Caribbean region and Latin America. This dish is the most common and comes from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Puerto Rico (Rodriguez). There are variations of the recipe, but the basis of the stew is chicken braised stewed in its own broth or tomatoes with the addition of various spices, onions, garlic, and herbs. Some recipes also include potatoes, carrots, corn, or beans; some variations contain all of these ingredients. Although this dish is a mainstay of Central and South American cuisine, it does not contain specific or expensive ingredients, making it ideal for everyday cooking.

Arroz con Leche was chosen for the side meal, which is the Spanish variation of rice pudding. Although this recipe is most common in Spain, Latin America, and Asia, it is believed to originate from Moorish cuisine (Arroz con Leche). The Arabic origin of this dish is confirmed by the mixture of cinnamon and rice, which are typical for this region. Arroz con Leche especially spread in Latin America due to the Spanish conquistadors, who actively promoted their own cuisine and customs in the region. For example, Puerto Ricans believe that Arroz con Leche has healing properties for both the soul and the body (Spanish Food). Due to the wide popularity of this dish, there are many variations of it, which include various ingredients.

Evaluation of the Entire and Side Meal

Pollo Guisado is first and foremost an extremely fragrant and colorful dish that contains a variety of tastes and smells. It is also important that this recipe allows for variations in ingredients, including the possibility of including various vegetables and spices in it, which can diversify the dish. Thus, Pollo Guisado is a great option for both everyday and festive meals. It is also noteworthy that this recipe does not require exceptional culinary skills and much time, which is an additional advantage. Due to the possibility of varying the ingredients, the recipe can be modified depending on the needs and preferences of family members and their guests. The ingredients contained in the meal can also be stored for several days in the refrigerator without loss of taste, which is an advantage for a working family.

Given the nutritional characteristics of Pollo Guisado, it cannot be recommended for long-term daily consumption due to the amount of cholesterol. Moreover, this dish is not suitable for frequent meals of the elderly. Additionally, the nutritional properties of this recipe may not be sufficient for the growing and developing body of children, which requires the introduction of additional dishes in the diet. The main recommendation is to add more variety of vegetables to Pollo Guisado to increase the amount of dietary fiber and the variety of vitamins and trace elements. The advantage of this dish is its low cost, as well as the number of ingredients used from the total amount purchased. Products purchased for cooking Pollo Guisado can be enough for several servings of the dish, which is a savings factor. The same statement is also relevant for Arroz con Leche, which makes these meals as economical as possible. Many of the foods such as rice, spices, and vegetables can be found in the home on a daily basis, making these recipes extremely convenient.

Arroz con Leche is also an easy-to-prepare recipe, making it suitable for everyday cooking. The meal provides an opportunity to satisfy the need for dessert for the whole family. Rice pudding can be refrigerated and offers many regional variations for recipe transformations. It is also important that the cost of the recipe is extremely low and it can be prepared from rice, which is in almost every home. However, it also requires special spices, which can be problematic, although they can be replaced with analogues. Arroz con Leche requires more preparation than other everyday desserts, but fulfills a family’s need for sweet food with less health damage than ready-made sweets.

Potential disadvantages lie in the calorie content and nutrients of the dessert. It is high in calories and simple carbohydrates, which can negatively impact nutritional balance. Additionally, high sugar content can be dangerous in diabetic populations. For the purposes of this evaluation, it is recommended that fruits be used more often as a dessert, as they offer fewer calories and contain dietary fiber. However, Arroz con Leche can be used as a festive dish for special occasions. The main danger of this dish lies in the high content of sugar, carbohydrates and saturated fats. With frequent use, this dessert can also lead to problems with the cardiovascular system and the development of excess weight. Homemade and made with rice, spices and milk, Arroz con Leche may seem as healthy alternative to ready-made sweets, but although it does less harm to health, it does not eliminate it. Thus, it is necessary to treat this dish with caution and not to consume it daily.

Pros and Cons of the Nutrients

Pollo Guisado is quite balanced in the number of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Most importantly, this dish contains both simple and complex carbohydrates, which provide the main source of energy. Protein and fats are especially important as building blocks for cells and tissues, as well as additional sources of energy. Vegetables contain healthy fiber, which is necessary for better absorption of nutrients. Due to various variations of recipes, one can also lower the number of carbohydrates by reducing the amount of rice in the recipe. Pollo Guisado also contains vitamins of groups A, C, iron and calcium, which makes it more healthy. The positive aspects of the nutritional composition of rice pudding include a high content of carbohydrates as an energy source. Additionally, the dessert contains a low amount of cholesterol, which is beneficial for health. At the same time, Arroz con Leche contains calcium and minimal amount of iron, which provide extra nutritional velaue.

Pollo Guisado contains various types of fats, including poly and monosaturated fats, which are essential for humans. It is noteworthy that polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 cannot be synthesized in the human body and must be supplied from food. Although most of the fats contained in this dish are monosaturated, they are also necessary for people to build and function cells. At the same time, pollo Guisado, due to the addition of sugar and oil, also contains a small amount of saturated fat, which is unhealthy. At the same time, this dish contains quite a high level of cholesterol due to the oil, so one should not eat it several times a day. It is also worth noting that Pollo Guisado contains quite high levels of sodium, which can adversely affect health if used frequently.

The main drawback of the proposed meal is the high content of simple carbohydrates and sugar in Arroz con Leche. This aspect can affect the increased calorie content of the dish, which requires careful attention to the size of portions. Additionally, despite the content of evaporated milk, the dessert offers a relatively small amount of proteins and fats, which makes it unbalanced. Thus, one should limit the consumption of rice pudding to avoid consuming excess calories. It is also significant that this recipe contains a high amount of saturated fat due to butter, milk and sugar, which is undesirable for health. Overall, Arroz con Leche contains mostly saturated fats, while the amount of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats in the dessert is minimal. Arroz con Leche also contains a low amount of dietary fiber, which negatively affects the overall nutritional value of the dish.

Appendix A

Pollo Guisado Recipe (6 Servings)

Instructions:

1. Prep chicken: Cut the chicken into small pieces and place it in a bowl that has a lid. Season the chicken pieces with lime juice.
2. Season chicken: Mix the chicken, oregano, onion, celery, salt, and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Brown chicken: In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add sugar, and wait until it browns.
4. Add the chicken (reserve all the other things in the marinade for use in a later step) and cook and stir until the meat is light brown.
5. Braise: Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring and adding water by the tablespoon as it becomes necessary to prevent it from burning.
6. Add vegetables: Stir in the vegetables that you had set aside from marinating the chicken, plus cubanelle pepper, tomatoes, and olives. Cover, and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, adding water by the tablespoon and stirring as it becomes necessary.
7. Make the sauce: Add the tomato sauce and half a cup of water, and simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. The vegetables will be very soft, the sauce is a bit thick, and the chicken fall-off-the-bone tender.
8. Add fresh cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve: Serve with Arroz Blanco, a side dish (or salad), and beans. It also goes great with Moro de Habichuelas (Dominican rice and beans).

Arroz con Leche Recipe (4 Servings)

Instructions:

1. Soak the rice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in 2 cups of water and let sit for a couple of hours. This step is optional, and it’s my own method for cooking the rice.
2. When the 2 hours have passed, pour the remaining 4 cups of water into a medium (1 gal [4 lt]) iron o cast aluminum pot. Add in the rice (including the water in which it was soaking, cinnamon, and cloves). Add the salt. Cook over medium temperature and stir regularly to avoid sticking. When the rice is tender (about 20 mins) add milk and sugar. When it breaks a boil again, add the raisins.
3. Cook over low heat until the mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency. Remove from the heat.
4. Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Add the butter and mix well. Cover and let it cool down to room temperature.
5. Stir to incorporate the crust that forms during cooling.
6. Serve in small bowls and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Decorate with the cherries.

Appendix B

Nutrients Analysis

Pollo Giusado is a mixture of chicken, vegetables, and rice, making it a great source of protein due to chicken and beans. Rice, vegetables, and sugar are good sources of carbohydrates, providing a balance between simple and complex carbohydrates. Additionally, vegetables provide the necessary amount of fiber to ensure the absorption of essential dietary nutrients. Vegetable oil and butter contain the amount of fat a human needs. Thus, this dish is balanced in terms of nutrients but requires attention to the portion size. Arroz con Leche offers a high amount of carbohydrates, in particular simple thanks to rice and sugar, which is a good source of energy. Due to the evaporated milk, important nutrients such as fat and protein are present in the meal.

Appendix C

Cost Analysis

Pollo Guisado

Arroz con Leche

Works Cited

“Arroz con Leche.” Spanish Food, n.d. Web.

Merkley, Kristyn. “Arroz von Leche.”Lil’ Luna, 2019. Web.

Rodriguez, Hector. “Pollo Guisado: Braised Chicken Stew.”The Spruce Eats, 2021.