greek lemon rice

 

I forgot to get a photo of my greek lemon rice until my greek bowl was stirred up and looking not so photogenic.  That's alright- the rice was great!

greek lemon rice (creme de la crumb)

1 cup long grain white rice

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (I used 1 teaspoon dried dill)

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter.  Stir in rice for 1 minute then stir in turmeric.  Stir in the broth, lemon juice and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a high simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout.  Fluff with a fork, stir in fresh herbs if desired and serve.

greek tomato rice

 

This greek tomato rice was great!  It was perfect for the new greek marinade that I tried.

greek tomato rice (allrecipes.com) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 cup long grain rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add rice; cook and stir until lightly toasted for 2 minutes.  Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, parsley, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is done, about 20 minutes.

yellow shawarma rice

I looked for a yellow rice recipe to go with our chicken shawarma for dinner tonight.  This recipe was delicious!  I had run out of white jasmine rice so it was half white and half brown jasmine rice.  It just needed a little more time on the stove but worked out very well!

yellow shawarma rice (the sassy foodie) 

1 cup jasmine rice

2 cups water

1 tablespoon bouillon concentrate

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon salted butter 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

Boil the water over medium heat.

Add the bouillon concentrate to the boiling water.  Stir to dissolve the bouillon into the water.  Add the spices to the water.

Add the rice to the pot, and top with the butter.  Turn the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and keep the rice covered for another 5 minutes.

Once the rice has cooked, take off the lid and squeeze the juice of a lemon into the rice.  Fluff with a fork.

mexican white beans

 

These beans are DELICIOUS!

mexican white beans (recipe inspired by a gluten free plate)

2 cans white beans (I used cannellini, one can drained and one can with juices)

1 white onion, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (or 2 tablespoons sliced marinated jalapenos, diced)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

vegetable oil

Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook for 10 minutes until onion is soft.  Add the beans and spices and lower the heat so the beans can simmer at least ten minutes.  For more flavor let them simmer for up to 25 more minutes.

Serve with cilantro lime rice.  Yum!

cuban style black beans

 

These were a huge hit with my family so I will be making them frequently.  They are so flavorful! I served them with some green chile and cheese tamales from Costco and everyone was full and happy.

cuban style black beans (adapted from skinnytaste)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely diced

3 tablespoons cilantro

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, do not drain

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

several pinches of cumin

couple pinches or oregano

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Add oil to a medium-sized pot on medium heat.  Add vegetables and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add beans, water, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. 

Lower heat and cover, simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste for salt and serve.

Serve over rice.

curried potatoes and chickpeas

 

Big hit!  In fact, my mom asked me for the recipe.  

curried potatoes and chickpeas (food network)

1.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes, 3/4-inch chunks

salt

3 tablespoons butter (I used two)

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained

2 cups fried onions 

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)

Put potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and enough cold water to cover potatoesi n a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, 3-6 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water.  Drain potatoes.

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add potatoes and cook for 8 minutes.  Stir in curry and cayenne.

Add chickpeas, 1 cup onions and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water.  Cook until heated, 3 minutes.

Mix yogurt, cilantro, lime juice and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl.  Divide curry and sauce among bowls and top with onions and jalapeno.

cilantro and lime refried beans

I had Mexican Bowls on the menu for this evening but I was out of black beans so we went a new route and I loved it!  I made cilantro lime brown rice, shredded chicken with green chiles then made these beans, corn and put out all the other fixings.  It was a slightly different twist on our usual bowls and they were so good!!!  It's fun to mix it up sometimes.

cilantro and lime refried beans (closet cooking)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I had to use jalapeno slices from a jar)
1 (15 ounce) can Great Northern Beans
salt and pepper
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the onion and saute until soft.  Add the garlic, cumin and jalapeno and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.  Add the beans (undrained) and salt and pepper.  Simmer until beans begin to break down a bit.  Add the lime juice and cilantro.  Allow cilantro to wilt before serving.

cilantro lime brown rice

I really should make this rice every time we have bowls but I forget!  It's so easy- I make the rice in my rice cooker and pour the sauce on top and stir.  It's so simple but packs a flavor punch!

cilantro lime brown rice
Cook 2 cups of brown rice in a rice cooker by putting 2 cups rice plus 5 cups water in a rice cooker and turn on high.
While the rice is cooking make the sauce to pour over the sauce:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine well and serve.  We love to use this rice when making Mexican Bowls.

vegan chickpea curry

I wanted to make something to accompany salmon so there'd be something for my little vegetarian to eat.  This was PERFECT!  This dish is SOOOOOO good.  Unbelievably good.  We all really enjoyed it.  Even my son.  And he even ate a few bites of salmon.  

vegan chickpea curry (adapted from HurryTheFoodUp)
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons curry paste (I used 1 Tbsp red curry past and 1 Tbsp curry powder)
1 can coconut milk
2 cans chickpeas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh basil (I used a tablespoon freeze dried basil)

Chop the onions, garlic, basil and juice the lime.
Put the oil and onions into a large pan and cook on medium heat until the onions start to soften and turn clear.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add the curry and the coconut milk, stirring until the curry is dissolved.  Add a pinch of salt.
Add the chickpeas.  Cook on medium heat, bringing the curry to a boil.  If it starts to burn, reduce heat.  Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, soy sauce and lime juice.  Gently simmer the curry for a few minutes.
Serve with brown jasmine rice.

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spinach and rice (spanakorizo)

This dish was impressive.  So full of flavor and very authentic according to the reviews.  I loved putting two pounds of spinach into the dish and watching my kids eat it right up.  It was absolutely delicious paired with the meat dish and cucumber yogurt sauce I found to go with it.  No need to dine out!

spinach and rice (spanakorizo) (adapted from allrecipes.com)
1/4 cup oil (I will try to cut back a little more next time)
2 onions, chopped
2 pounds spinach, stems torn off
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used brown jasmine and cooked the dish twice as long)

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Saute onion until soft and translucent.  Add spinach then pour in tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a boil, season with parsley, dill, salt, pepper.  Stir in rice, reduce to low, simmer 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkle feta and lemon juice before enjoying.

slow cooker indian-spiced lentils

First of all this dish is outstanding!  Second, it was exciting because I don't recall ever buying red lentils so I got to try something new.  My kids looked at it and were unsure but ate it up. Then asked for more!  My husband said it tastes a lot like what we'd get at Evergreen, our favorite Indian restaurant downtown.  I was excited to try this recipe because my teenager wants to eat less meat.  Not only is this recipe full of lentils but also an enormous bag of spinach!  This recipe is very healthy with lots of protein and iron and other good stuff I'm sure.  A big thank you to my friend Mandy for passing this recipe along!

slow cooker indian-spiced lentils (my friend Mandy found it at Our Best Bites, slightly adapted)
2 cups red lentils
10 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (I omitted this)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
handful of chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
serve over cilantro lime rice- it was delicious!

Combine all ingredients except for the lime juice and cilantro in the pot of a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.  Before serving add the lime juice and cilantro.

cilantro lime rice

This is my new favorite rice.  I discovered how versatile it is when I used it for Mexican bowls one night,  Thai chicken another night and last night withIndian-spiced red lentils (a recipe you have to try!).  It complements so many dishes really well.

cilantro lime rice
2 cups brown basmati rice
5 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken broth granules
big handful of cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Put rice, water and chicken broth granules in a rice cooker.  Turn on and allow to cook.  When it's done cooking add cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine.  That's all!

yummy 3-ingredient potatoes

I actually don't know what these potatoes are called but I watched my friend Shonda make them while I was over picking up my kids from art class.  It looked like such a simple dish to make and I knew that once her potatoes went into the oven the entire house would smell delicious.  I wanted that too.  I had my oldest make them and they were a huge hit!!  I heard ooohs and aaaaahs. And the house smelled sooooo good.

yummy 3-ingredient potatoes (my friend Shonda)
red potatoes
canola oil
packet of onion soup/dip mix (we used Trader Joe's)

I gave my daughter a 9x13 and asked her to pour a little bit of oil in the pan which she did with gusto.  She may have put a little more oil than I would have but the taters turned out crispy which was perfect.  I'd say she put in 1/3 cup of oil.  She then cut up a bunch of red potatoes, enough to fill the bottom of the pan- maybe 8 potatoes.  Then she sprinkled the onion mix on top and combined everything.  We put the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour and a half due to my errand running longer than anticipated.  That's okay because they were PERFECT!

mexican confetti rice

I made diego chicken last night, one of our favorites and needed some rice to go with it so made this and it was fantastic.  Now I have two favorite Mexican rices- cilantro lime and this confetti rice.

mexican confetti rice (pass the peas, please)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dry brown basmati rice (yes basmati- I buy it in bulk so I use it for everything- love the flavor)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup tomato sauce

In a large saucepan with a lid, heat olive oil.  Add onion, bell peppers, tomatoes and carrots until tender.  Add salt, cumin, garlic, rice and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and let simmer until rice is done (depends on the kind of rice you use).  Should you choose to use a different kind of rice, use the amount of rice and water the recipe calls for.  When rice is done, stir in tomato sauce and serve.  It's delicious with a dallop of fat free sour cream on top.

egg roll manicotti

So clever.  So easy.  Everyone in my family loved it and ate a lot of it.  Score!  My oldest daughter and I made it together in about 5 minutes. Five minutes!  This recipe is a keeper.
Our family went out to dinner last night and my oldest daughter ordered baked manicotti and it was so delicious we were inspired to try this simple recipe.  Pastini's served theirs with red sauce and marinara sauce so we tried that with one pan.  Yum!

egg roll manicotti (adapted from Plain Chicken)
15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
16 ounces low fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons parsley (I used freeze dried)
1 package egg roll wrappers, about 21
32 ounces spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, half the mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, garlic powder and parsley.  We actually ended up putting in 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt thinking it was the cottage cheese!  Fill each egg roll with 3-4 tablespoons of filling and roll.
In 9x13 and two 8x8 pans, pour a little sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Place rolled manicotti seam side down in dish.  Top with remaining sauce and extra mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered for 20 to 25 minutes.

What I have to say- with so many pans of manicotti you can freeze one or two of them and enjoy some now and some later!

spicy potato wedges

Scrumptious!  Before I left for the grocery store my oldest asked if she and her friend could make some homemade chocolate pudding to which I agreed.  While on aisle 9 she texted me and asked if we had any chili powder.  I wondered what the chili powder was for- they were for these babies.  When I got home they were nice and hot and delicious.  Maybe it has been a while since I've had a french fry (it has) but it tasted really good.  All 7 of us had our hands over the plate full of potato wedges.  The original recipe called for sweet potatoes but my we didn't have any so my daughter substituted red potatoes.

spicy potato wedges (my daughter found this recipe in her cookbook Cooking Fun by Rae Grant)
4 big red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste (she halved the black pepper 1/4 teaspoon)

Place rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a sheet of foil on the bottom of baking sheet.
Scrub potatoes well under cold water using a vegetable brush.  Pat dry with clean dish towel.  With adult help, cut the potato in half lengthwise then cut each half into 6 wedges.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the oil, salt, chili powder, and black pepper and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  use a spatula to turn the fries, then return baking sheet to oven to bake 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and brown.  Serve hot.  Serves 4 to 6

brooklyn pad thai

Finally, the recipe I've been waiting for!  My friend Kris served this at a gourmet club a couple months ago and I've been wanting to make it for my family ever since.  I love the flavor of this dish.  It's delicious!  You'll need to make half at a time or the noodles will get mushy and the sauce won't be well distributed so you'll need to divide the ingredients between each cooking session.  You might want to use tongs to mix everything so as not to mush up the noodles.  Easily serves 6.

brooklyn pad thai (my friend Kris found it here)
1 pound rice noodles
for the sauce:
6 tablespoons tamari
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Asian hot chile sauce (use less for those sensitive to spice)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
for the pad thai:
6 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound tofu, drained and pressed and cut into small triangles
1 medium sized red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely minced lemongrass (Kris omitted this because she couldn't find it)
2 cups bean sprouts
8 scallions, sliced into 1.5 inch lengths
2 small dried red chiles, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedge for serving

Prepare the rice noodles according to the package directions.
Mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet or wok over moderate-high heat.  Pour 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil into the pan and heat, then quickly add the tofu.  Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until the tofu is crisp on the outside.  Remove from pan and set aside.
Pour 2 tablespoons more of the peanut oil into the pan.  Add half the red onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Add half the garlic and half the lemongrass, and stir-fry for 30 more seconds.  Add half of the sauce and when it starts to bubble, add half the noodles.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add half the tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, chiles, and peanuts.  Stir for 30 more seconds.  Transfer to two serving plates and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

garlic teriyaki endamame

This endamame has wonderful flavor and was a terrific side dish to our Asian meal at gourmet club.  Yum!! 

garlic teriyaki endamame (my friend Angeli got the recipe from allrecipes.com)
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen edamame in the pod
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Bring the water and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Stir in the edamame and cook until they are hot and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-high and stir in the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and sesame oil.  Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened and coats the edamame, about 4 minutes.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

teriyaki sauce (Our Best Bites)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and black pepper.
Combine your ingredients in the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  While sauce is heating, combine cornstarch and cold water.  When sauce comes to a full boil, add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and use any way you'd like.  You can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

artichokes au gratin

I know it doesn't look like much, just a lot of cheesy cheese.  Underneath and surrounded by cheese you'll find big chunks of artichoke hearts and because I used pepper jack cheese there are also spicy peppers throughout.  Yum!  This dish was actually better the second day.  Next time I might throw in some pimientos for color and some sour cocktail onions for good measure.


artichokes au gratin (served at our church Christmas party)
2 cans (14 ounces each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup butter, divided (I used 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided (I used jalapeno jack)
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon paprika


In a small skillet, saute the artichokes and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter until tender (I did not use any butter or oil).  Transfer to a greased 1-quart baking dish.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/4 cup cheese until melted.  Pour over artichokes; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Combine crumbs and paprika; sprinkle over top.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.  Yield: 6 servings

What I have to say- this recipe was so popular it was sent out in the weekly RS update.

crispy garlic sage potatoes

Hall of Fame!  I made a beautiful dinner- lemon sage chicken cutlets, these garlic sage potatoes and artichokes au gratin.  Did my kids eat anything but the potatoes?  No.  They were in too in love with these potatoes to eat anything else.  By the time my husband got to the table (he was lying down because he didn't feel very well) he was lucky to get the last 5 potatoes that I swiped before my kids got to them.  Fantastic!

crispy garlic sage potatoes (blog: What's for Dinner?)
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges (I didn't peel mine)
1/2 cup olive oil
6 chopped sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 smashed garlic cloves (I used minced)

Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees.  Toss potato wedges with olive oil, chopped sage leaves, springs of sage, garlic, salt and pepper.  Spread on the hot baking sheet and roast 30 minutes.  Stir them around.  Continue roasting until golden, about 30 minutes.  Increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook until crisp, 15 more minutes.  Season with salt if necessary.