Vegetable Fried Rice

 

 Lunch! This is one of my favorites. Grab what's in the refrigerator and throw it in with some rice. Today it was mushrooms, peas, carrots, green onion and a scrambled egg. Little bit of soy sauce and the secret ingredient ... oyster sauce. Yum!

Teresa's Fried Rice

2 cups rice -- cooked

1 handful frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup canned sliced mushrooms

2 large eggs
2 green onions -- sliced
1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Scramble eggs in a small skillet. Remove and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. I generally use olive oil but any kind will do. Add already-cooked rice and stir-fry for a moment until heated through. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir until evenly distributed. Move rice to the sides and add mushrooms and vegetables. Stir-fry until cooked through. Stir veggie mixture into the rice. Add eggs and toss.

The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever you have. Just add in any veggies or meats chopped into bite-sized pieces: chicken, pork, even bacon.

Arroz con Pollo -- Blech! And the most delicious dessert ever!

What more can I say. Blech! This recipe for Arroz Con Pollo was awful. So awful that my nephew ended up having a bad dream about it where he was being forced to eat it for dinner again another night! And he's a college student with a cast iron stomach who is happy anytime he doesn't have to eat in the cafeteria!

This recipe was so bad I'm not even gonna tell you where I found it. Yuck!

Since that recipe was an epic fail, instead, I'll give you a recipe for the most delicious thing I've tried lately: Oreo Cookie Balls. My sister brought these to the dinner party last weekend and they were amazing (though not very good for the diet!)


Easy Oreo Truffles
Recipe from Kraft Foods

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 squares each) Semi-Sweet Chocolate or white chocolate, melted

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs or drizzle with white chocolate.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Sausage Rice

In a hurry, as usual, I came across a recipe for Sausage Rice over atFull Bellies, Happy Kids. Since I had all the ingredients on hand I decided to try it. It was quick and easy and since I used our favorite sausage, we all liked it.

Sausage Rice
Recipe from Full Bellies, Happy Kids

2 tbps olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb sausage, sliced (now here you can use ANY sausage you like even sliced hotdogs)
1 1/2 cups of rice
3 cups of water

In a pan over medium heat, add oil, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper, tomato sauce and onion. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender....add the sausage and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the rice and the water to the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is done.

I usually check often to make sure that there is still enough water or if needed I add just a little more, I want the rice to be cooked but I also want a bit of the sauce to stay, so I don't want it completely dried up.

Remove the bay leaf and serve, along with a salad or some veggies.

Barefoot Bloggers: Butternut Squash Risotto

For this edition of Barefoot Bloggers, Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook chose Butternut Squash Risotto. I have to admit I was dreading this one. Butternut Squash? Ick! I have to go to town and buy pancetta? Wahhh! The kids are gonna moan and groan. ::sigh:: Any excuse I could fine to put it off.

When am I ever gonna learn? This dish was amazing! I had a bad butternut squash experience back during my Flylady days and I just couldn't seem to get past it. Nasty tasting mush was all I could imagine. But people, roasted butternut squash rocks! I think I ate half of it before it was time to add it to the risotto! It's my new favorite food. I needn't have worried about the pancetta. I already had a package in the fridge. And as for the kids whining? (They always whine.)

They. Ate. It. And didn't even complain.

Who would've thunk it?

It also went together much more quickly that I would have expected. I had it mostly done before the squash was even done roasting. And next time ... there will be a next time ... I think it will be even quicker now that I know what I'm doing.

Thanks Ina!

Butternut Squash Risotto
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Thai Grilled Chicken, Fried Rice and Zucchini medallions

Some days it all works out.

Since I am still in denial about the end of summer, I'm having trouble getting back into the hectic swing of things that is our life during the school year. The past few nights that ds has had tennis matches, dinner has been sad. Very, *very* sad. In fact earlier this week I even stooped to frozen pizzas. Now, granted, I was sick and dragged myself out to watch him play ... but *still*. Sad. So sad. So since I knew we'd all be at his match last night, I decided I needed to get prepared. I grabbed the recipe for Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken that I'd bookmarked over at Artsy-Foodie, mixed up the marinade and tossed in a couple of chicken breasts and had it grill-ready in the fridge before we left.

After some celebratory high fives (ds won his games), dh started the grill as soon as we came home. Within minutes, I'd started the rice and sliced up the zucchini for Kate's Zucchini Rounds, topped them and had them all set to go under the broiler. When the grill was ready, I'd already sliced, diced and gathered all the ingredients necessary to throw the fried rice together. Dinner was delicious and ready at a reasonable time.

The chicken was tasty and moist. Flavored simply with cilantro, garlic, Asian Fish Sauce and Toasted Sesame Oil it was a breeze to make. If you need more detailed directions, check out Alexa's beautiful blog: Artsy-Foodie. He pictures will make you drool and before you know it, you'll be bookmarking page after page of recipes that you want to try.

The fired rice is always a hit with picky dd. And I love, love, *love* Kate's Zucchini Rounds. They are a quick side, prefect for any meal. And, hey ... it's topped with fresh Parmesan and gets all brown and yummy under the broiler. Of course it's good.

Kate's Zucchini Rounds
Recipe was posted once upon a time at homemadesimple.com or you can look here where I've blogged about it before.

Zucchini
Melted butter or margarine or butter-flavored cooking spray
Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder

Slice zucchini (as much as you want to make) and arrange on a no-stick cookie sheet. Drizzle with melted butter or margarine, or spray with butter-flavor cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Broil until cheese bubbles and browns.

My Kitchen My World: Jamaica!

I went to Jamaica a few years ago, back in the days before I had children. Never in my life have I seen such a beautiful location. I was a little apprehensive about the trip. After we booked, the island was hit by a hurricane and rocked by a political coup. Lots of people canceled their travel plans but we felt it was a now-or-never situation and we went anyway. It turned out to be a great vacation! The weather was awesome. The people were friendly. The rum punch was delicious. ;-)

I still remember having the most delicious French Onion Soup in our hotel restaurant. I've tried to duplicate it for years and haven't even come close. The soup was topped with the most incredible cheese from a local dairy. The flavor of the cheeses (and their butter!) was to die for. Nothing like what I've found here in the U.S. The other part that makes it so hard to duplicate might be that we were eating by candlelight on a private balcony over looking the Ocho Rios Bay. Hard to recreate that here in Indiana. The cornfields don't provide a similar ambiance, kwim? LOL!

This week, My Kitchen, My World is visiting Jamaica and I couldn't be more excited! We are serving one of our family favorites: Jerked Chicken Skewers. (I think the kids will eat almost anything on a skewer. Serve them a chicken breast and they'll turn up their noses but thread it onto a wooden spike and they are all over it!) We paired it with Salsa Rice with Black Beans. Add a little store-bought mango salsa, a Bob Marley CD and some rum punch and you're all set for your tropical get-away!

Don't forget to visit My Kitchen, My World and see what Jamaican deliciousness everyone else came up with!

Jerked Chicken Kabobs
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon stick
1 red onion, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs
1 lime, juiced
3 garlic cloves
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
Salt and pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chicken; puree until smooth. Add all but 1/4 cup of the mixture in a 1 gallon plastic sealable bag. Add the chicken to the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high. Skewer chicken pieces and grill on 1 side for about 5 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until cooked through and grill marks appear.

Salsa Rice and Beans
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

1 cup rice, regular or instant
1/2 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauce pot, cook rice according to package instructions. When the rice is half way cooked, add black beans, salsa, and cook about 10 minutes for regular rice and 3 minutes for instant rice .Continue cooking rice. Remove the pot, using a spoon, stir in chopped cilantro and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Salsa Rice with Black Beans

This tasty side dish was a great accompaniment to the Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions we had for dinner last night. I have to admit that now I've made more Robin Miller recipes that we liked than those we haven't. I guess I didn't choose well at first. Lately they've all been winners! This one is quick and easy to make from pantry staples. It's a flavorful dish but not too spicy, depending on what type of salsa you use. Even dd liked it (after getting past the idea of actually eating a bean!)

Salsa Rice with Black Beans and Corn
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

1 cup rice, regular or instant
1/2 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauce pot, cook rice according to package instructions. When the rice is half way cooked, add black beans, salsa, and cook about 10 minutes for regular rice and 3 minutes for instant rice .Continue cooking rice. Remove the pot, using a spoon, stir in chopped cilantro and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

South Beach Diet Chicken Jambalaya

Quick. Easy. Delicious. My favorite kind of recipe. This one comes from the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, M.D. We aren't on the South Beach Diet. We've never been on the South Beach Diet. And actually, I have a hard time imagining myself on a carb restricted diet. ;-) But we really love this recipe. (As well as all of the others I've tried from this cookbook.)

Over time I have made a few changes to the recipe. I usually add in some andouille sausage if I have some around. The spicy sausage really adds to the depth of flavor in this dish. I also usually use yellow and red bell peppers instead of green because that what I keep around. I also will often use pre-cooked rice that I keep on-hand in the fridge and that cuts the cooking time considerably. I also add considerably more than 1/8 teaspoon of Cajun Seasoning. We like things spicy around here!

My oldest son actually says this is his favorite thing that I make. Enjoy!



Chicken Jambalaya
Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, M.D.

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 bunches scallions, chopped, 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole-grain, quick-cooking brown rice
1/8 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, scallions, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in rice and Cajun seasoning. Add broth and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If jambalaya has excess moisture, cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved scallions and serve.

Risi e Bisi

It's been exactly two weeks now since I last was able to run. ::sigh:: I feel better, at least until exert myself and then I start coughing like crazy. Hopefully tonight I'll be able to do some sort of workout. I have a couple hours while the kids are at wrestling practice that I can use the indoor track at the high school. Hopefully I can get a couple of miles in with several walking breaks. May is going to be here before you know it and 13.1 miles is a long way!

Last night for dinner everyone got to pick a favorite thing for me to make. Lily picked corn on the cob; Jacob chose chicken; and Katie couldn't decide between rice and peas. I ended up making simple chicken breasts, sauteed in a bit of olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper since dh wasn't home. I told Katie she could have both and pulled out a recipe for Risi e Bisi. It turned out not to be the recipe I'd intended. We'd had a Rachael Ray version in the past and we really liked it. This time I tried Mario Batali's recipe for Risi e Bisi with Prosciuitto, though I did leave out the Proscuitto since I was making this for my semi-veggie daughter and my carnivorous dh wasn't home yet. Both recipes are similar (though Ray doesn't include proscuitto) but Batli's version seemed somehow fussier. In the midst of preparing it, I started winging it and turned it into Ray's Italian style rice and peas, instead. It was fairly quick and not difficult. The dish does need some attention. You have to continuously add broth to the rice as it cooks down and give it a stir now and then but I was able to finish the chicken and get the table set with no problems in well under 30 minutes.



Risi e Bisi -- Italian style rice and peas


1 quart chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil -- 2 turns of the pan
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 rounded cup Arborio rice
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls)


Place chicken stock in a small pot and warm over low heat.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil 2 turns of the pan, and garlic. Saute garlic 1 minute, then add Arborio. Toast the Arborio rice 2 minutes, then ladle in 1/3 of the stock. Bring to a bubble. Stir rice occasionally, allowing the rice to get starchy and the stock to cook into the rice. Add more stock when rice starts to become dry. Continue stirring and ladling broth until rice is al dente, 22 minutes. Stir in peas and cheese and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Serve immediately.

Teresa's Fried Rice

Why is it so easy to slack off? No running all week. ::sigh:: I ran in a 10K race last weekend, and while I wish my time would have been better, I was pretty pleased with the results. I finished only a couple of seconds behind my friend and running partner and was only about 20 seconds off of my time from the same race last year. If I can start doing a better job of getting out the door on a more regular basis, I'm cautiously optimistic that I can start off TNT training in January as strong as I was last year and hopefully have a phenomenal spring race season. :-)

While I haven't been running (or blogging) this week, I have been cooking. Katie was sick this week and requested her favorite comfort food, Mom's Fried Rice. It's a simple concoction of scrambled eggs, rice and peas. Katie prefers I stop right there. Dh and I like to add mushrooms and whatever veggies are left in the crisper. It's one of my quick go-to meals, especially if I have some already cooked rice in the fridge or freezer. I used to only use white rice for this but now I prefer it with brown. It makes it a tad bit healthier and even the kids don't complain!


Teresa's Fried Rice

6 cups rice -- cooked
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
3 large eggs
3 green onions -- sliced
3 teaspoons oyster sauce
3 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil

Scramble eggs in a small skillet. Remove and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. I generally use olive oil but any kind will do. Add already-cooked rice and stir-fry for a moment until heated through. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir until evenly distributed. Move rice to the sides and add mushrooms and vegetables. Stir-fry until cooked through. Stir veggie mixture into the rice. Add eggs and toss.

The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever you have. Just add in any veggies or meats chopped into bite-sized pieces: chicken, pork, even bacon.