Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice is a great side dish to serve with your meals.  Rice with a southwestern flair.  This recipe is made on the stove and is very easy.  The important thing you need to remember is to read your rice package to determine the amount of liquid you need.  Your rice will come out perfect.



Spanish Rice
Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups* chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.


METHOD
1 Brown the rice: Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium/high heat. Add the rice and stir it so that the rice is lightly coated with the oil. Cook on medium high heat, stirring often, until much of the rice has browned.
2 Add onion, garlic: Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently another 3 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and softened, about a minute more.
3 Combine broth, tomato, oregano, salt, and browned rice and onions: To save time you can bring the stock to a simmer in a separate saucepan, with the tomato, oregano, and salt.
4 Combine the rice and broth mixture:  Add the browned rice to the simmering broth (or broth to the rice, depending on which pan has a cover). Or you can skip the simmering step and just add the broth and tomatoes to the rice.
5 Simmer, cover, cook until the rice has absorbed the stock: Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat to barely maintain a low simmer.
Cook for 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork or spoon to serve.

Serves 6

Cole Slaw

Cole Slaw is a quick and easy side to make.  It goes well with practically everything, cookouts, sandwiches, BBQ,  fish, poultry, etc.  I  open up a bag of cole slaw mix and toss it with a nice vinaigrette dressing.  Mmmmm delicious.

Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

Salt & pepper to taste

1 bag (16 ounce) Cole Slaw mix

Directions:

1.  Making the vinaigrette:  Whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  

2. Making the Cole Slaw:  Open and pout the bag of Cole Slaw Mix in a large bowl.   Pour the dressing over them and toss well.  Refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.

Serves 6

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

With the weather getting a little crisp, a nice bowl of hot soup is always welcome.  I made this Broccoli Cheddar Soup the other night for dinner and it was delicious.  The family said this was the best Broccoli Soup I have made.  It was very easy to make and require little time to make from start to finish 15-30 minutes.   You put the ingredients in an Instant Pot and cook for 5 minutes.   When done puree with an immersion blender. Then add cheese, milk, and a teaspoon of sugar.  Yes, sugar it does makes the flavor pop.
Note: You can omit the sugar - optional

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
From Instant Pot
INGREDIENTS
5 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion chopped
1 - 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed (optional)
1  lb Broccoli cut in big chunks
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil or 2 tsp fresh basil (optional)
1/4  cup flour
2/3 cup Water
1 - 2 cup cups grated sharp cheddar
1/2 cup heavy cream Half & Half or milk
1 tsp sugar optional but it makes the flavour pop

INSTRUCTIONS
Put the first 8 ingredients (up to and including the basil) in the Instant Pot and close the lid. Make sure the valve is set to Sealing and push Pressure Cook (or Manual). Adjust time with the +/- buttons to 5 minutes.
While it cooks, whisk together the flour and water until completely smooth. When the IP beeps that it's done, flip the valve from Sealing to Venting and when the pin drops, press Cancel and remove the lid.
Press Saute and bring it back to a boil, stirring frequently. Give the flour/water slurry a final whisk and pour about half of it in the soup, stirring until it comes back to a boil and thickens. If you want it thicker, add a little more slurry, boiling after each addition.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Or use a blender or food processor and then return it to the pot.
Press Cancel and add the cheese (add some Parmesan if you like, for an extra kick). Stir until melted and smooth. DO NOT BOIL after cheese goes in. Add the cream/milk and sugar. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese, broccoli florets or croutons.

Serves 6-8

Mexican Lasagne

Who doesn't like Lasagne.  Layers of goodness in one dish.  This dish is a spin off of the original Italian Lasagne.  Tortillas, seasoned ground beef, refried beans, cheese and a semi spicy sauce.  Just like the traditional lasagne only with a South of the Border  twist.

Mexican Lasagne

From Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

Extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 pounds ground beef or ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 14-oz can refried pinto beans (or you can make your own refried beans)

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 28-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes, preferably "Fire Roasted"

1 7-oz can diced green Anaheim chiles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (choose sturdy tortillas mad with yellow corn)

2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 oz)

2 cups coarsely grated mild cheddar cheese (about 8 oz)

To serve:

Sour cream

Avocado

Cilantro

Iceberg lettuce

METHOD

1 Brown the ground beef: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or cast iron frying pan on medium high heat. Add the ground meat, breaking it up as you add it.

Sprinkle with salt. Sprinkle on the chile powder, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Increase the heat to high. Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Do not stir the meat unnecessarily. Allow the meat to brown on one side, and then stir it so the other side can be browned.

As soon as the meat is browned, remove the pan from the burner. The meat will continue to cook in the heat of the pan.

Once you are sure that the meat is cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.

2 Sauté onions, bell peppers, garlic, add tomatoes, chiles, oregano: Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the empty pan used to cook the meat and set over medium heat.

Add the onions and chopped bell peppers. Cook until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for an additional 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes, green chiles and oregano. Bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the tortillas.

3 Cook the tortillas: While the sauce is simmering, soften the tortillas by frying them in a little oil. In a 9-inch skillet, heat 1/2 cup olive oil on medium high heat until it is sizzling hot, but not smoking.

Cook the tortillas one at a time, for 5 seconds on each side, so that they soften, but don't get crisp.

Remove the tortillas with a metal spatula or tongs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

4 Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 9x13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

5 Assemble the casserole: In baking dish, arrange 4 tortillas in one layer, overlapping slightly (tortillas will not cover bottom completely).

(If you don't have time to pre-soften the tortillas, coat the bottom of the pan with some olive oil and spread a little sauce over the bottom before adding the tortillas.)

Spread half of bean mixture evenly over tortillas in dish and top with half of meat mixture. Sprinkle one third cheese over the meat and spread half of the sauce over the cheese.

Repeat layering of tortillas, beans, meat, cheese, and sauce and top with remaining 4 tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over tortillas.

6 Bake: Bake casserole on the middle rack in the oven at 350°F for 35 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.

7 Cool and serve: Let the casserole stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced iceberg lettuce on which has been sprinkled vinegar and salt.

Serves 8

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

 

Broccoli is not a veggie my family usually dislikes.  However, when I found this recipe for a broccoli bake, and sat it before them, they loved it.  Broccoli is paired with bacon (everything is good with bacon), cheese, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.  They are all combined together and baked at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes.  

You have a tasty side that goes great with any meal. 

 

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

From Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds (900g) broccoli, stems removed (can use vegetable peeler to peel, then slice and eat like celery) and crowns cut into florets (about 8 cups of broccoli florets)

2 strips thick-cut bacon (about 2 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips

5 large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup (43g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (236 ml) whole milk

2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (1 to 2 teaspoons if using fine ground black pepper)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

8 ounces (225g) cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD

1 Blanch the broccoli florets: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the broccoli florets and boil for 3-5 minutes or until just tender enough so that a fork can easily pierce the floret, but still firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

2 Cook the bacon: While the water in step one is coming to a boil, cook the bacon pieces on medium heat in a frying pan until lightly browned, but not crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Set aside.

3 Make the egg mixture: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into the flour, then whisk in the cream and milk. Add the black pepper (more or less to taste), salt, and mustard. Mix in about a third of the cheese.

4 Assemble the casserole: Place the blanched broccoli florets in the casserole dish, sprinkling about a third of the cheese over the broccoli florets as you lay them down. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the broccoli.

Pour the egg, cream, milk, cheese mixture over the broccoli, moving the broccoli pieces a bit so that the mixture gets into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.

5 Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, or until set. Once the top has browned, you may want to tent with aluminum foil to keep from burning.

Serves 6

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas sheet cake is a tasty chocolate cake that is about 1-inch thick topped with a chocolate cooked frosting.  This cake is easy to make and doesn't take a lot of time.  The cake batter is made and poured into a half-sheet cake pan.  Bake the cake and when done remove from the oven.  While the cake is cooling (about 5-10 minutes), you make the frosting.   The frosting is then poured on top of the cake and spread evenly.  You can scatter pecans on top of the cake, if you wish.  Let the cake cool before serving.



Texas Sheet Cake
From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups (8.8 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter

1 cup water

1/4 cup (1 ounce) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons natural cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk, whole or 2 percent

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of kosher salt

3 cups (15 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup chopped pecans (4.5 ounces)

Special equipment:

Half-sheet pan

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or butter a half-sheet pan (13x18 inches) and line the bottom with parchment.

2 Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

3 Make the batter: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, water, and cocoa powder. Whisk until melted and smooth, and then bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from the heat.

Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat the hot cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Beat in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, followed by the baking soda, until combined.

4 Bake the cake: Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool briefly, about 5 to 10 minutes, while you make the frosting.

5 Frost the cake: As soon as the cake is done baking and on the cooling rack, combine the butter, cocoa, and milk for the frosting together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the powdered sugar with an electric mixer or by hand.

Pour the hot frosting over the still-warm cake and spread evenly. Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans or other topping.

Allow to set, then serve immediately or cool completely and cover to serve later. You can also wrap the cake well in foil or plastic wrap and freeze.

Serves 36

Air Fried Zucchini Fries

Fried zucchini dipped in Ranch dressing is so good.  I found a great recipe for Air Fried zucchini.   It is amazing how good this zucchini is.  The zucchini fries are coated in a breadcrumb cheese mixture, flour  and an egg batter.  They are then placed  in the air fryer at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.  Serve with some ranch dip an you have an amazing side.  These   air fried zucchini  fries are delicious.

Air Fried Zucchini Fries

From Breville

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces/225g each)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 cup (55g) panko breadcrumbs

1 cup (60g) finely grated Parmesan cheese 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pinch cayenne pepper

1⁄4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour

2 egg whites

Ranch Dressing

Directions:

1. Cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then cut each half lengthwise into wedges 1⁄2-inch (1cm) thick. Toss zucchini with 11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt and place in a strainer or colander set over a bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well under cold running water to get rid of excess salt. Use paper towels or a clean dish towel to dry the zucchini well.

2 . Pre heat Air Fryer to 425 degrees.  Combine panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, cayenne and 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are well combined and slightly finer in texture, 5–7 pulses. Transfer panko mixture to a shallow dish.

3. Place flour and egg whites in two additional shallow dishes.

4.Working in batches, toss zucchini in flour and shake off any excess. Dip zucchini in egg whites and allow excess to drain off. Dredge zucchini in panko mixture, ensuring all sides are well crusted.

5.Arrange zucchini in a single layer on the airfry basket, leaving space between each piece.

6. Cook in Airfryer  at 425 degrees for12 minutes.

7. Cook until brown and crispy, about 12 minutes.

8. Serve immediately with Ranch Dressing.

Serves 4