Shortcut Spanish Rice

This is a really simple recipe that adds flavor to Tex-Mex style dishes. I used it in enchiladas and as the base for burrito bowls. Feel free to double, triple, or cut the recipe in half.

For burrito bowls I serve with a can of refried beans and any other toppings I have on hand. We like cheese, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, and avocados but anything goes.


2 cup dry white rice
3 1/2 cups water
4 chicken bouillons or enough for  4 cups of water
1 c. bottled salsa

Place all in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover. Let cook until the rice is tender throughout. 

Check to make sure the bottom isn't sticking and burning towards the end of cooking.

Fruit Cup aka Sploosh

It's fun this time of year to look back and remember holidays past. I think that is part of the excitement of the season, remembering not only the new things planned but also the family and friends you have enjoyed previous holidays with.

In my case one particularly fond memory is of my grandmother. She always welcomed us in to her kitchen. She taught me how to microwave eggs with velveeta in her little pyrex dishes. I now see those same dishes in antique stores and they make me smile.  She also had us kids devein and peel the shrimp for the shrimp cocktail she served on holidays.  A few of the things I remember most though besides the shrimp cocktail were glazed carrots, key lime pie, and fruit cup.

Fruit cup sounds like it should be a simple thing and it some ways it is. And yet it's wonderful alongside all the rich treats we typically indulge in on Christmas. One thing that makes it special is the way it is prepared. The oranges and grapefruit are peels are sliced off around the fruit to separate the segments and then the fruit peeled out from between them.

Using a serrated knife, slice around the peel. Don't make the swatches too large. It's faster but you lose more of the fruit that way.

Slide the knife down the side of the segment all the way to the center trying not to cut through the center.

Once you have the knife in the center use it to pry the fruit out of the segment.

Like most of my recipes, specifics aren't important. Which is good, because I don't have them. The strawberries in this are the frozen kind that come in sugar syrup. You can buy two size, small or large. Whichever one you get depends on if you are making a lot or a little.

5 lb bag of oranges, more or less
1 - 2 grapefruit
1 small tub of frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed

Segment the oranges and grapefruit according to the description above. Add the strawberries. Let sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld a little bit and enjoy. Or let sit overnight, because advanced prep is something I love this time of year.

Lemon Cucumber Salad

I was at the end of the week, one where I kept neglecting to go grocery shopping so I had to some up with a vegetable to serve with dinner based on an almost empty fridge. Cucumbers and a few pantry staples and I present to you cucumbers with lemon and dill.

1 large English cucumber
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 - 2 Tbsp lemon juice
several large pinches of salt
Dash of white pepper
1 frozen cube of dill or 1 tsp fresh minced

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill. Drizzle over the cucumbers and toss to coat. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. 

Serve immediately.

Greek Pasta Salad

Dressing
As always, these proportions should be customized to taste

1/4 c. olive oil

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar might be nice here too

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 sliced green onions
1 - 2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped 

Dash black pepper
Salt to taste
1 scant tsp. sugar

Salad

1/2 lb penna pasta, cooked and chilled

3 chicken breasts, fillet, season cook, chill

1 bag mixed field greens

Whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients and let sit at least 30 minutes. I made mine the night before for an easy and quick dinner the next day. I also cooked the chicken and pasta then as well for the sake of ease. 

Toss it all together and eat.

Cucumber feta salad

Hmmmm, what can I throw together from my fridge for lunch? This would be really good in a wrap with some chicken or tossed with some cold pasta for pasta salad.

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. kalamata olive, chopped

2 - 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 green onion, chopped

1/3 or a large English cucumber, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

Stir it all together, taste of salt and enjoy!

Feta Broccoli Salad

Salad ingredients

2 c. chopped fresh broccoli

1 orange pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

2 green onions, sliced whites and green parts

1 large head romaine, sliced

4 oz. feta, crumbled

 Dressing

3/4 c. olive oil

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Toss with all of the salad ingredients and enjoy immediately.

Chimichurri Quinoa Bowl

 

1 large bunch cilantro, leaves picked from the stems

1 sprig fresh oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c. olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

4 cloves garlic

2 shallots

1/4 c. pickled jalapeno slices

black pepper

6 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped

 2 chicken breasts

3 c. cooked quinoa, hot

Pre-heat the oven to 400. 

Combine 2 Tbsp. olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic cloves, shallots, jalapeno slices, and black pepper in a blender. Pulse until mostly smooth and vegetables are chopped. Add the cilantro and oregano and blend until well chopped but not smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Trim the chicken and cut in half lengthwise. Top each of the four chicken pieces with and eighth of the cilantro mix. Bake at 400 until the chicken is cook through and bits of the cilantro start to brown.

Remove from oven and slice.

Meanwhile, add remaining olive oil to the remaining chimichurri sauce. Add the sauce to a large frying pan along with the spinach. Cook the spinach over medium heat until dark brown, stirring constantly. 

Layer in bowls 3/4 c. cooked quinoa, a quarter of the spinach, and 1 piece of chicken.

Enjoy!

Quinoa and Greens

I love quinoa, it's tasty and nutritious. The other day for dinner, thanks to "Iowa girl Eats" via pinterest, I made a quinoa dinner we all loved. I highly recommend it. But then I started thinking of other quinoa bowl varieties that would be good.

2 1/2 c. Water
2 Chicken bouillon cubes
1 c. Quinoa

Unsalted butter or olive oil
2 large chicken breasts
Season salt

1 1/2 c. Water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Unsalted butter or olive oil
2 c. Broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
4 c. Fresh baby spinach
2 c. Fresh or frozen green beans, cut into half inch pieces
1 c. Small pieces of zucchini, optional
1/2 onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash salt

Bring the water to a boil, add the chicken bouillon and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer. Cook about 20 minutes, remove the lid and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

Meanwhile, trim the chicken of fat and cut in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with season salt and cook in oil until browned on both sides and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.

Immediately add 1 cup of water and bouillon cube to the pan while it's still hot. Stir to lift up the fond from the bottom of the pan. Combine the cornstarch and remaining water. Whisk into the hot liquid and stir until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pour into a bowl.

Add more butter to the pan. Saute the onion until slightly tender. Add the broccoli, green beans, spinach, and zucchini if using. Lightly salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are cooked to desired doneness. Add the garlic and cook 1 - 2 minutes longer. 

Layer in bowls cooked quinoa, green veggies, sliced chicken, and drizzle with chicken glaze.