Simple Spanish Rice

{photo courtesy of Tasty Kitchen Blog}

If I find a good Spanish rice at a restaurant- I will order the heck out of it.
When I lived in Utah, I would often go to an authentic Mexican drive through in town and only order like 6 sides of rice and a cream churro.
I LOVE spanish rice.
Well I finally found a recipe that equals.
{Now if I can find a churro recipe to match}

Simple Spanish Rice

2 TBS olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 8 0z can tomato sauce

Heat oil in skillet, when hot add rice, onion and garlic. Stir until rice is lightly golden. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Let cook (not stirring) about 20 minutes until rice is tender.
Fluff with fork before serving.

Pasta Salad

This salad is full of veggies. With a little pepperoni and ham kick mixed in. And when you are in the mood for savory...this hits the spot, with little guilt thanks to all our garden friends. Just don't think about the dressing. Wink.

Pasta Salad
1-2 boxes of corkscrew pasta (Sometimes I will mix different shapes for fun)
1 bottle of Kraft Tuscan House Italian, or your fav Italian dressing
1 package thinly sliced ham cut into small strips
handful of pepperoni cut into small strips
1 cucumber cubed
carrots
head of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower
red pepper
can of medium black olives
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Cook and cool pasta, add a small tidge of olive oil to prevent from sticking while cooling.
Cut all veggies into uniform bite size pieces and add to pasta. Add olives, parmesan cheese,ham, pepperoni and the bottle of dressing.
Salt and pepper and mix and chill.
You can add whatever else you'd like, i.e. cherry tomatoes, red onion, pine nuts and so on.

Crockpot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I saw this recipe on the Crockpot Ladies website and tried it last night. I have altered it a little to my liking. I made it her way and I wanted it a little more cheese and creamy. So, I adjusted it a little. I say make it to taste.

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (9-ounce) bag baby spinach, chopped (If you buy it already chopped and frozen you don't need as much. I did and I felt it was more spinach then it needed.)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise or 3/4 cube cream cheese
3 T jalapeno slices, chopped

I used a 4-quart crockpot. Drain and chop artichoke hearts, and add to the crockpot Scrunch the spinach and chop it the best you can---mostly try to get the long stems off if you can or use frozen chopped spinach. Add to the crockpot. Add mayo or cream cheese, sour cream, and chopped jalapenos. Top with 3/4 cup each shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, or high for 1. Stir. The spinach should begin to welt if you are using fresh spinach. If it hasn't, cook some more. When the spinach is totally wilted, take the lid off and add the other 3/4 cup of each cheese, and let it melt while the lid remains off. The spinach will have created some liquid that doesn't really need to be in there.

Serve with your favorite chips, sliced veggies, or bread cubes.

sweet potato fries

I am not a big sweet potato or yam fan...i just really don't like it when veggies taste sweet; unfortunately they are ridiculously good for you! so i was searching for a good recipe i would like when i stumbled onto this one in running magazine. These "fries" were delicious, good for you, and very easy to prepare.

1-2 tbps veggie or canola oil (depending on how many potatoes you use)
1 large diced sweet potato (this was plenty for one person, the original recipe suggests four)
seasoning (i used garlic salt, rosemary, and allspice...you can essentially use whatever you like, but the recipe called for rosemary and paprika)


heat oven to 375 F
coat diced potatoes in oil and seasoning
spread out on cooking sheet and cook for 20-30 minutes depending on size of fries

I flipped the fries periodically and they did stick to the pan a bit, so if you want to line the pan with foil, parchment paper or spray that would help.

Bean Chip Dip

* I will post a picture next time I make it!

2 cans corn

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

3 tomatoes

3 avocado's

1 dry packet of Good Seasonings Italian dressing

Drain the beans and corn and combine in a large bowl.  Cut up the tomatoes and avocado's and add the beans and corn.  Make the good seasonings Italian dressing according to the directions on the packet (vinegar, oil and water) and pour over dip.  Refrigerate to chill and serve with tortilla chips!  (Scoops tortilla chips are the best in my opinion!)  

This is a family favorite and between me and my sisters it is basically at every family get together!  Enjoy!  

Not Another Hotdish Please.

Everyone I know is having a baby right about... now.
Thus the reason for this post.
I can't drop off another hotdish of sorts to a new Mom, knowing that she has a freezer full from the rest of the good women in our ward who bring by a dish in the attempt to get the first look of the new bundle of joy.

I'd love it if I were creative & could come up with some amazing dishes for such occasions, but I've faced the music & it ain't pretty.

So here is my desperate plead, for everyone to post what they take to family with a new baby. All those tried & true recipes... you know the ones.

In return for yours, I'll share mine.

Chicken Salad
2-3 cups of small shells pasta
4 cups cooked diced chicken
2-3 stalks of diced celery
1-2 cucumbers diced
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 cups of grapes, cut in half
1 cup of salted almonds or cashews
salt & pepper

After the chicken & pasta shells have cooked & cooled, mix everything together with the mayonnaise. Salt & Pepper to taste & enjoy.

You really can't go wrong with this one, that is why it's a favorite of mine.

Yu-um.

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary & Garlic

This is a Paula Dean recipe, I tried it once, loved it and now this is the only way I cook our red potatoes!

1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and dried

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

4 to 6 cloves garlic crushed

1 T. fresh or 1 t. dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 350

Peel a narrow strip from each potato. In a bowl mix the oil, garlic and rosemary; add potatoes and toss well. Transfer potatoes to a shallow baking pan and roast until potatoes are tender when tested with a tip of a knife. Serve hot!!

Yummy Queso dip

This is probably the easiest recipe ever. It is so yummy and kind of addicting though! Hope you like it!

1 block cream cheese. (16 oz)
1 can chili {no beans}
1/2 cup salsa

*heat until cream cheese is melted.

That's it! And it is sooo yummy!
Enjoy!

Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice

Tonight we are having a little birthday Fiesta for Josh. We are having the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, Cilantro lime rice, Tomatillo ranch dressing, and Tres Leches for dessert.

Ingredients:
4 t chicken bouillon
4t minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can diced green chiles
3/4 t salt
1 T butter
1/2 onion chopped
3 cups rice (not instant)

Directions:Put chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, diced green chilies, salt, butter and onion in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into saucepan and add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Add rice and simmer for 30 minutes.

I haven't made this yet, I will let you know how it turns out.

Citrus Rice

Can I just say YUMMY!  I was so excited about how dang good it was.  I will for sure make this often.  

1 1/2 cups instant white rice (uncooked)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 cup of green onions (or however much you prefer)

3 Tbsp of sliced almonds

Combine white rice, chicken broth, orange juice, and soy sauce in a medium microwavable bowl.  Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Fluff rice with fork; sprinkle with green onions and almonds.  

Tonight I served it with some rotisserie chicken and asparagus.  Yummy!