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    Home

    About me

    Hello, I'm Zoe!

    this Recipe!

    Wepa! My name is Zoe, and I am on a quest to reconnect with my Puerto Rican culture, food, and traditions.

    Born and raised in Puerto Rico until the age of 15 when we moved to the United States. As a child, I was always interested in arts, crafts, and music. So much so that during high school and college, I studied theatre and visual arts.

    During college, I learned I had ADHD, which put my academics on hold. I decided to explore culinary arts instead, as a means of employment, and to maintain my passion for creativity. I loved culinary arts so much that I never looked back to performance arts again.

    As the years went by, I realized I needed to learn more about food than just cooking it.  People were coming to the restaurant with dietary needs, and I needed to understand how they all functioned. So, I decided to study alternative medicine with a concentration in nutrition.

    Studying alternative medicine opened my eyes to a cleaner lifestyle as well as it became a window to my cultural past. For the first time, I was able to see and connect the foods my grandmother and her ancestors used to heal themselves and maintain their health.

    This realization urged me to reconnect with my Puerto Rican roots. Unfortunately, by the time I wanted to reconnect, I had already lost two important sources, my grandmother and my mother.

    The decision of making the website brought all my passions into a neat little box of creativity. Allowing me to fully express myself while honoring my family and my culture.

    I dedicate this website to those of us who might not have grown up cooking with a loved one. Who might have never been to Puerto Rico and do not know the ingredients. Those who miss someone's special cooking and would like to recreate it.

    Join me in my journey, as I reconnect with my culture and explore Puerto Rican cooking one recipe at a time.

    What would you find on Girl Meets Fire?

    • Simple & delicious Puerto Rican inspired and keto-friendly recipes that I've tested in my own kitchen that I hope you'll try and love!
    • An email newsletter where I share with you new recipes and resources every other week!
    • All of my favorite kitchen and photography equipment that's essential to me!

    More about Zoe and Girl Meets Fire

    How did you come up with the name Girl Meets Fire?

    The name came out of frustration. Frustrations with myself for not being able to do what I am passionate about cooking and teaching. Girl Meets Fire symbolizes me facing my passions head on and my desire to cook on an open fire 🔥😉.

    What recipes do you recommend to someone who is new to Puerto Rican cuisine?

    Start with flavor. Sofrito is a key condiment in the preparation of many Puerto Rican dishes. Although we are accustomed to using adobo powder, I do have a recipe for the fresh paste version of adobo. Use this to season your meats and proteins. These two recipes can be used as seasoning for any recipe you would like, even if it is not Puerto Rican. Arroz con Gandules is another recipe worth trying, as well as sancocho.

    What recipes do you recommend for starting a ketogenic diet?

    To start, especially if you are Puerto Rican. Take a look at my list of foods available to eat in a Ketogenic Diet from my downloadable pdf. My cauliflower yellow rice is also sure to hit the spot. As well as my Keto polvorones for the sweet tooth 😋

    Do you have any vegan or vegetarian recipes?

    Ironically, when I first started the website, most of my side dishes were vegan or vegetarian. White rice, sofrito, adobo, frijoles negros, and red beans are great examples of these.

    Some of my favorite recipes

    These recipes are either Puerto Rican or Ketogenic. I am currently focusing on a ketogenic lifestyle to control my weight, but I struggle when I am missing a particular Puerto Rican dish. My hope is to create recipes that hit the spot, but not all of the recipes can be interchanged.

    • overhead image of two servings of rice pudding served in small glass bowls and desserts spoons
      Arroz con Dulce, Puerto Rican Rice Pudding
    • an image of a glass of coquito
      Favorite Coquito Recipe
    • A slice of bread pudding with raisins and caramel sauce on a white plate. the rest of the bread pudding is in a long white plate in the background.
      Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)
    • chicken chorizo stew served over rice with a wedge of avocado
      Tender Chicken and Chorizo Stew

    Feel like we can collaborate? Hit me up, and we could meet up! [email protected]

    Primary Sidebar

    Zoe standin in the kitchen smiling

    Hola! I'm Zoe. I love all things food and enjoy cooking. I created this site to reconnect with my Puerto Rican heritage while living in the United States. This is a great place to reconnect if you are floating in the diaspora. I would love to hear from you!

    About Zoe →

    Father's Day Recipes

    • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
      Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs, Pinchos
    • a pan of drunken mussels fully cooked
      Drunken Mussels, The Easiest Way To Cook Mussels
    • close-up-of-roasted-chicken-thighs-on-a-serving-platter
      Delicious Puerto Rican Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • Puerto Rican Inspired Keto Cauliflower Yellow Rice

    Popular Recipes

    • close-up-of-roasted-chicken-thighs-on-a-serving-platter
      Delicious Puerto Rican Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • A bowl of funche with shrimp and tomato sauce
      Funche, The simple recipe that became a Building block To Our Puerto Rican Ethnic Roots
    • Closeup of a slice of keto-friendly pecan crusted cheesecake.
      Keto Cheesecake with Pecan Almond Crust
    • Puerto Rican Inspired Keto Cauliflower Yellow Rice
    • a stack of sprinkled polvorones with a glass of milk on the background
      Polvoron, A Puerto Rican Shortbread Cookie
    • a batch of freshly made sofrito with some of the ingredients (cubanelle peppers, onion, herbs, and garlic) surrounding the container.
      Sofrito, The Not-So-Secret Puerto Rican Secret Ingredient

    Interested in Keto? Start Here!

    eBook

    two pestles and mortars on a table

    Want to know the difference between a Ñame and a Yam?  Both sound similar but they are not the same tuber.  What is the difference between CULANTRO and CILANTRO? And what in the world is Pana, or Guanabana?  To find out these and many other ingredients CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE to sign up to my ebook waiting list.  The book with the answers is coming out very soon!

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