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.

Tomato Salad

This is super simple to whip up. I like to use the packaged bacon bits because it don't get soggy like traditional bacon in the dressing. And it has a good flavor,  as long as they are real bacon bits. Just make sure they are cooled before you add them or the mayo dressing will get slimy. 

I like to eat this in a pita, but it's also great on a hamburger or grilled chicken.

Salad

2 packages cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 green onions with greens, sliced

1/3 c. Hormel real bacon bits

Dressing

1/2 c. mayo

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1-2 tsp sugar

pinch salt

Black pepper

Heat the bacon bits in a non-stick skillet until fragrant and crisp, watching carefully so as not to burn. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toss with the vegetables. When the bacon is cool enough to touch add to the salad.

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.

Sour Cream and Chive Potato Salad

I had a baked potato bar one night and had quite a few leftover potatoes. So I chopped them up and tossed them together with a few of the leftover toppings and came up with this. We happened to like it quite a bit.

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8 c. cooked cold potatoes

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. mayo

3 - 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 green onions

1/4 c. sliced chives

Stir everything together except the potatoes until smooth. 
Then add in the potatoes, folding gently so as not to break them up. 

Chill for several hours.

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.

Pea Salad

This is such a simple salad and yet it taste to wonderful. It rounds out an meal nicely. It's my moms broccoli salad recipe adapted for my non broccoli eating husband. The sweet peas and crunchy romaine were great together. This recipe doubled easily or can be cut in half just as easily. 

This salad can be made in advance. Just throw everything together except for the romaine, it' will get soggy and  limp in the dressing. Slice and store separately, just stir in right before serving.

12 oz. frozen peas, thawed

1 heart of romaine, very thinly sliced

1/4 c. real bacon bits

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 carrots, grated

3/4 c. mayo

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

Dash black pepper

Salt to taste

Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill for 30 minutes.

Corn and Orzo salad

8 oz. orzo (or 2 c. cooked quinoa)

2 large onions, chopped

2 lb frozen corn kernels 

1/2 stick butter

1 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar (or white sugar)

Salt to taste

4 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed

4 chipotles in adobo, chopped

4.5 oz real bacon, bacon bits

Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Cook the bacon bits in a large non-stick skillet until they are crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the pan you cooked the bacon in, without cleaning it out, melt the butter and add the onions. Saute over medium heat until he onions are translucent. Add the corn, sugar, and salt and continue to cook on medium until the corn is thawed. Turn the heat to medium high and cook only stirring every few minutes or when the corn and onions on the bottom of the pan start to brown. Cook until the corn and onions are caramelized

Meanwhile cook the orzo in salted water until al dent. Drain and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Toss together the caramelized corn, cooked orzo, and cream cheese. Stir to combine. Add the bacon bits and the chipotle. Top with the fresh parsley for color if using and serve.

Cabbage Broccoli Salad

I made something very similar to this a few months ago with a sesame dressing and mandarin oranges in the salad. I made it this time almost exactly like my mom used to make it but with the addition of broccoli. 

And since Ramen noodles are technically pasta (I checked) I am sending this to Presto Pasta Nights 258 at Once upon a Feast.

1 small head cabbage or 1/2 large head

1 head broccoli

2 pkg oriental ramen noodles

3/4 c. sunflower seeds

1  - 2 c. sliced almonds

2 lb. chicken breasts

season salt

oil

Dressing (Recipe follows)

Cut the cabbage into quarters and cut out the core. Cut each quarter in half again, lengthwise and then slice into thin ribbons. Dump into a really large bowl.

Chop the broccoli pretty fine and place in the bowl with the cabbage. Add the sunflower seeds and the almonds. Crush the ramen noodles pretty well before opening the package and add the noodles to the bowl, reserving the seasoning packets for the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well to combine.

When that is all done trim the chicken breasts and season generously with season salt. Cook in hot oil until no longer pink in the middle and both sides are browned. Immediately chop the chicken into small pieces and add to the cabbage bowl. Stir to combine. You can use leftover chicken here, I like to add it hot to the salad though because it cooks the broccoli ever so slightly and makes it a nice bright green color. 

Dressing:

1 c. oil

6 Tbsp Red wine vinegar

2 Oriental ramen seasoning packets

3 Tbsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all together and set aside. 

In a pinch you can use apple cider vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar but you will need to reduce the oil by 2 Tablespoon and make up the difference with vinegar since apple cider doesnt have the same flavor as the red wine. 

Brussel Sprouts

 Sorry the picture is not all that inviting

My kids love brussel sprouts. They ask for them every time we are at the store. Just try and picture the strange looks I get in the store with three kids begging for brussel sprouts. And the even stranger looks I get when I tell them "not this time". They particularly like the frozen ones in the Green Giant packets with the butter sauce. These are similar but start from fresh, don't get all mushy and I can make as many or as few as I want.

 

1 lb brussel sprouts

6 Tbsp unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp. Flour

1 c. water

1 chicken bouillon cube

Cut the ends off the brussel sprouts and cut the large ones into quarters and the small ones in half. 

Heat the butter in a large skillet, add the brussel sprouts and cook until browned in spots and glossy looking. Sprinkle the flour over the top stirring to combine. Cook while stirring for one minute. Add the water and chicken bouillon. Cover and turn the heat down. Cook until the brussel sprouts are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.

Optional and tasty: Saute 6 strips of bacon and remove from the pan. Use the drippings instead of butter and continue with the recipe as above. Just before serving crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top.

Breaded Baked Zucchini

This was actually really fast to throw together and let bake while I made the spaghetti, and was a tasty side dish that was a change from my usual, steamed broccoli. For the dipping sauce since I was already serving spaghetti I just reserved some of the sauce before adding it to the beef to dip into.

1 egg

3/4 c. milk

1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

2 medium zucchini

3/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dash Salt & Black Pepper

1/4 - 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Marinara Sauce for Dipping

Pre-heat your oven to 400

Combine the egg, milk, and minced garlic. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Slice the zucchini about 1/8 of an inch thick and set aside.

In a separate container combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic. 

Dip the sliced zucchini in the egg mixture and then the crumb mixture, pressing slightly to help the crumbs stick. 

Spray a baking sheet really well. Place the zucchini in a single layer on the pan and spray with cooking spray. 

Bake at 400 for 18 - 22 minutes. Flip the zucchini over and bake an additional 7 - 10 minutes, until browned. 

Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

1/2 lb red potatoes, cut into cubes

1/2 lb carrots, cut into chunks about the size of the potatoes

3 - 4 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Parsley

1 Tbsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Granulated garlic

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese

Pinch Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Combine the potatoes and carrots in a 9x13 baking dish. 

Toss with just enough oil to coat the vegetable but not pool in the bottom of the pan. 

Combine the seasonings and sprinkle over the vegetables. Stir well to coat. 

Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes, uncovered, until tender, stirring twice during cooking. 

They are done when the potatoes are tender all the way through and the carrots are mostly tender but still firm in the center.

Eggrolls

The wrapping takes a little practice but after a few you will probably get the hang of it.
The hands above are my 5 year old, after her second one she was wrapping as well as I was.
 

1 1/2 lb ground beef (chicken or pork work great too)

1/2 tsp. McCormick Szechuan Pepper blend

1 c. beef broth

1/2 c. stir fry sauce

1 head cabbage

3 carrots, grated

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

60 Egg roll wrappers 

(I used 3 packages I got in the produce section of Wal-mart)

Cook the ground beef with the pepper seasoning, crumbling really fine, until no longer pink. Add the broth and stir fry sauce and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Put in a really large bowl. 

Cut the cabbage into quarters, slice really fine, then cut across so you have small shreds. Toss with the cabbage. In a large pan cook the onions without water or oil, over medium heat, until starting to soften. Add the cabbage mixture and let cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so to avoid browning and to make sure it gets cooked all the way through. About halfway sprinkle the top with salt, stir and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed, making sure not to add too much or you wont be able to add soy sauce later. 

When the cabbage is softened but not too cooked down, remove from heat and toss with the cooked meat. 

Place one egg roll wrapper at an angle, top with a scant 1/4 c. of meat and cabbage mixture. Roll, still at an angle, about half way, tuck in the sides and finish rolling. Dip your finger in water and wet the end of the roll before wrapping to seal it closed. You don't want to get them too wet though or else the wrapper will turn into a soggy, doughy messy that wont hold the filling.

Freeze - place all on a tray and freeze until solid. Then put them in an air tight bag and seal.

Eat now - Fry in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side. 

 

Come see all the other great recipes at Cast Party Wednesday

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

I have been searching for a really long time for the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe. I'm talking years here, and either the texture was wrong, it wasn't cheesy enough, it was too stringy, it was bland, something was always wrong. 

I've tried flour thickened sauce, cornstarch, cream soups, cream cheese, baked, you name it, I've tried it. Ask Husband Man, he's had to live through them all.

In between looking everywhere for new ideas I have been trying some things on my own. And I have finally settled on something I consider the perfect macaroni and cheese, with a few weird things I am particular about. First off, use a good quality block of sharp cheddar cheese and secondly shred it yourself. Thirdly, this is not low fat, don't try and fix that or it wont be the same. I'm not a big mustard fan myself, so rest assured, this isn't a mustardy sauce, but it's not the same without it.

Now that I have the basics down I can't wait to start playing with other cheese and flavors.

1 1/2 lb elbow or corkscrew pasta

3 c. half-an-half

2 eggs

16 oz. good quality extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter

1/4 tsp. yellow mustard

1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Generous dash freshly grated nutmeg

Same with freshly grated black pepper

dash Tabasco sauce

3 Tbsp. flour 

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water until desired tenderness, drain and set aside. 

Heat the half-an-half until small bubbles form. Slowly whisk the hot half-an-half into the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the egg and half-an-half mixture back to the pot on the stove and cook, over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes until thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Stir in the butter

Pour into the vitamix along with the cheese. Run on high for 4 - 5 minutes until the cheese is mixed in. Add the mustard, Worcestershire, nutmeg, pepper, and Tabasco and blend until mixed. 

Combine the flour and enough water to form a pourable paste. Pour into the cheese sauce and blend on high until the sauce thickens a bit, about 10 - 15 minutes. Pour over pasta and let stand for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

Twice-Baked Praline Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes

1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk

1/4 - 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Scrub and poke the sweet potatoes with a fork all over. Microwave for 5 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. 

When cool enough to handle cut the potatoes in half and scrape put the centers leaving the skins intact. Mash the potatoes. Using a hand whisk, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, condensed milk, sugar, butter, spice, egg whites, and vanilla. Whisk it all really well, taste and adjust seasonings keeping in mind you want it a little sweeter than you want it to taste after it's cooked.

Spoon back into the skins. Top with the nut mix, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes until the nuts are cooked.

Nut topping:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. pecans

Dash pie spice and cayenne pepper

Combine all together. You can replace the nuts with oats if you have some one in you family who doesn't like nuts, or half nuts half oats to suit what you have on hand.

Port au Fino Salad

 My family isn't very big on traditional cranberry 

sauce, so we serve this every year instead.

1 (3 oz) box cranberry jello

1 (3 oz) box raspberry jello

1 c. boiling water

1 c. red grape juice

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 large apple, cored, peeled, and grated

3/4 c. chopped pecans

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 c. sour cream

Powdered sugar to taste

Place to two packages of jello in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the whole berry sauce and stir until it is mixed in. Add the pineapple, apple, pecans, and red grape juice. Pour into a 9x13 and chill until thick but still viscous. Stir and continue to chill until set, at least 5 or 6 hours. 

Before serving mix together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Add powdered sugar to taste. I don't really like tons, just enough to make it slightly sweet and less tangy but not quite frosting. 

Spread the cream cheese mix on top of the cranberry layer and garnish with more chopped pecans.

Onion Rings

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2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cumin

black pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 c. milk

3/4 c. soda (I used apple soda)

1 1/2 c. panko crumbs

2 really large onions, sliced and separated

Combine the flour and next 7 ingredients.

Toss the sliced onions and the flour mix. Remove the onions rings and set aside. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and soda. 

Immediately whisk in the remaining flour mix. 

Dip the eggs in the batter and the coat with panko crumbs. 

Cook in hot oil on both sides until brown. 

Drain on a paper towel.

Sauce Recipe

1/4 c. mayo

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp. horseradish

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. honey

Pinch Thyme

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch Black Pepper

Whisk all together.

Packard Potatoes

I have a cookbook my grandma gave me, one that the ladies she went to church with compiled. It's something that has been around as long as I can remember, the book with the pink gingham cover. This book in fact:

Fast forward 20 years. I'm at a friends house and she pulls out the exact same book! It turns out, our Grandparents where friends. They are both in the cookbook. So with renewed interest in what it contained, I flipped through and found a great looking recipe. And guess who submitted it? That's right, Friends grandpa. It look me a little while but I finally got around to making them. I'm sorry I waited. Everyone in my house loved them. 

And in my usual fashion, I had to change them a little based on what I had on hand and to tailor it to our tastes.

Here is the Original

Mashed Potatoes Deluxe

2 1/2 qt. chicken broth

8 russet potatoes

6 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch lengths

1 large onion, cut into quarters

1 tsp dill (dried or fresh)

6 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp parsley

2 Tsp. salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add potatoes; cover. Lower heat. Boil 15 minutes. Add carrots and onions; boil 20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Drain potatoes and carrots in a colander; cool 5 minutes and peel.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, dill and butter. Mash with potatoes masher. Add parsley, salt, and pepper; mash again. Heat and serve warm.

So here's what I did to it:

I used Yukon Gold potatoes and chopped them up a bit first because I was in a hurry and I wanted them to cook faster. I also didn't want to carrots to get too soft cause I wanted orange streaks in my potatoes. Since the potatoes where now smaller, I boiled the carrots and onions first, for about 5 minutes, them I added the potatoes and boiled until tender. And I used chicken bouillon cubes instead of broth. 

So I boiled everything and drained it like the original. Mashed them, leaving the carrots in streaks. I left out the dills cause Husband Man doesn't like dill except in tzatziki, reduced the parsley about half and added 1/4 - 1/2 cup (I think the technical term is "big glob") of sour cream.

We all LOVED them. They had a great, no, a perfect, texture and flavor without being too heavy or too thin. Just that perfect balance in the middle.

So in conclusion, I want to add a really big "Thank you" to Roger Packard for this great recipe.