Easy Vegetable Rice Dish

This is an easy recipe to put together and serve. If you want to save even more time in the kitchen, just use frozen vegetables of your choice.

Ingredients

1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 carrots, chopped
1 to 2 celery stalks, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.  chicken broth
1 c 1/2 c. Minute rice
1 c. frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil. Cook the onion, carrots and celery until tender.

Pour in the chicken broth or stock. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the Minute rice. Add the peas. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for five minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Do not lift the cover or lid. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Easy Sweet, Sour, Spicy Chicken

Sweet, Sour, Spicy Chicken is a fast and easy recipe. Perfect if you don't have much time to cook. Serve it over a bed of left over rice for a great meal. You can double the sauce if you want more to serve with the chicken and rice.

Sweet and sour sauce Ingredients

3/4 c. sugar or brown sugar
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 jalapeño hot pepper with seeds, minced
3 to 5 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Chicken

5 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs. cornstarch
3 Tbs. vegetable oil or more

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, onion, jalapeño, and garlic.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, being careful of the vinegar fumes because they can be strong.

In a small bowl or cup, mix the water and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Be sure to use cold water with the cornstarch, otherwise you will get lumps.  

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the bubbling mixture, whisking constantly as you pour.  Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the chicken.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or a sealable plastic bag. Add cornstarch. Shake or toss the chicken to coat evenly with cornstarch. 

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add chicken. Stir and turn the chicken to fry all sides evenly until the chicken is done. This can take about 6 to 8 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the sauce, stirring so all the chicken gets a nice coating of the sauce. Simmer for one to two minutes.  

Serve chicken over some cooked rice.

 Taco Seasoning Mix

Buying the individual packets of taco seasoning is convenient, but it is also costly. For just a fraction of the cost of one packet, you can make your own and have it already on hand, whenever you want. 

We usually add equal amounts of cumin and chili powder because we like the taste of the cumin. But most recipes use less cumin in their mix. The nice thing about making your own spice mix is that you control the spices you like best. You can leave out ingredients you don't like and put on another spice you do like when making tacos.

Ingredients

6 Tbs chili powder
5 Tbs. cumin
4 Tbs paprika or smoked paprika
2 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. black pepper
1 Tbs.salt
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. oregano
1 Tbs. cornstarch (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you want a spicier taco mix.)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you want a spicier taco mix.)

Directions

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, onion powder, oregano, cornstarch, red pepper flakes coriander, and cayenne pepper.  Put the lid on the jar and shake the contents until they are thoroughly mixed together.  

A package of Taco seasoning has 2 tablespoons of the seasoning.  Use 1 to 3 tablespoons of your seasoning mix to one pound of hamburger or ground beef, along with 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Then taste. You can always add more taco seasoning mixture if desired, but it is very hard to remove it once you have it blended in.

Round Herb Bread

This bread dough can be make into loaves, or as an artisan style bread, or used for a pizza crust.  It is delicious and fragrant, making it the perfect addition to any meal or to eat on its own.

Ingredients

1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbs. yeast  or 2 packages of yeast
3 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
1  2/3 c. Evaporated milk
1/4  c. dried parsley
1 Tbs. basil
1 Tbs. oregano
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 c. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese or a mixture of both
6 c. bread flour or all-purpose flour

Directions

Grease a cookie sheet or two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. 

Mix water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Place the bowl in a warm location for 6 to 10 minutes, so the yeast can bloom or show it is alive and active. It will look frothy.

Stir in 2 c. flour, oil, onion, garlic, evaporated milk, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and grated cheese. Beat until smooth with a wooden spoon or with a mixer that has a dough hook. Beat for about 2 minutes. 

Begin stirring in the rest of the flour. If mixing by hand, continue to add flour until it gets too hard to stir, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Continue to knead in the rest of the flour until you have a dough that is smooth and slightly sticky.  Kneading time takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled or greased bowl, turning once so all sides are coated with oil. I use the same bowl that I mixed the dough in to save on dishes.  Cover with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in size.  This takes about an hour. 

Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape the dough into two round loaves. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. This takes about 30 to 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350° and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until done.  If the tops start to brown too much, cover the bread loosely with foil. 

Remove from the pans or cookie sheets and place on wire racks. Rub a stick of butter over the top of the hot loaves. This will keep the loaves soft with a great buttery taste. Try to let the loaves cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Stuffed Hamburgers

 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 tbs. pickle relish
4 oz. cheddar cheese, sliced
4 hamburger buns
sliced tomato
ketchup
mustard
sliced onion
lettuce
hamburger pickles
mayonnaise
cheese

Directions

Preheat the barbecue grill.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper. Mix the meat lightly with your hands.

Divide the hamburger mixture into 8 portions. Shape each hamburger into a thin pattie.  Place 1 tablespoon of  pickle relish on four of the patties. Top each with a one ounce slice of  cheese.

Take the other four patties and place on top of the cheese. Press the edges to seal well, otherwise the cheese will leak out.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Grill the hamburgers until one side for several minutes, then carefully turn the hamburger patties over and grill the other side until they are done  It can take about 5 minutes for a well done hamburger pattie. 

Open the hamburger buns and place the open side down on the grill for maybe a minute if you want the buns toasted. 

Serve on toasted buns and top with a slice of tomato, ketchup, mustard, sliced onion,  lettuce, hamburger pickles, mayonnaise or cheese if desired.

 Toffee Almond Sandies

 Combine almonds and toffee bits to make a delicious tasting cookie. These are so good

 Ingredients

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. oil, vegetable
1 tsp. almond extract or vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. almonds, chopped
1 (8 oz.) pkg. English toffee bits
granulated sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls in

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy.

Pour in the oil and almond or vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Turn the mixer to low. Add cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 

Gradually add the all-purpose flour, and wheat flour. Mix well. 

Stir in almonds and toffee bits. 

Take about a teaspoon of dough and roll it between the palms of your hands. The balls should be about 1-inch. Or the size of a walnut.  If the dough is too sticky to work with, place in the refrigerator for an hour or two to firm up.  Roll the balls into a bowl of granulated sugar.

Place on cookie sheets and flatten the tops with a fork like you would with peanut butter cookies.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Tender, Juicy Pork Chops

 

Ingredients

4 thick cut pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 c. chicken stock or chicken bouillon
1Tbs. vinegar
2 to 3 tsp. honey
1 Tbs. butter

Directions

In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and flour. Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking time. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt, pepper and the spice rub you just prepared.  Set the pork chops aside for 30 minutes to bring them close to room temperature. This helps the meat to cook evenly.

 In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat the oil. Cook the pork chops on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the pork chops over to cook the other side and fry until golden brown. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce heat to low.  Cook until a thermometer reads 145° when inserted in the thickest part of the pork chops. Cooking time will vary between 6 and maybe 12 minutes, depending on how thick or thin your pork chops are.

Remove pork chops from the skillet when done and place on a plate. Cover with a lid or a sheet of foil to keep them warm.

Raise the heat under the skillet to medium high. Pour in the chicken stock, vinegar and honey. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet because that is where all the flavor is. Bring this to a bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking to reduce the mixture by half. Taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter.

Pour over pork chops and serve.