Food Friday - Rice Is Nice!

At 104 degrees, it is now too hot to be outside cooking on the grill so I am back inside, but trying not to generate too much heat in the kitchen.  Salads and one pot meals are the name of the game at house these days.  And eating out, probably too often.

This week's recipe is an old favorite of mine from Southern Living.  Shortly after I was married the first time in 1983, my mom gave me a subscription to Southern Living magazine as a Christmas gift. She continued to renew it every year until her death in 2006 at which point I became responsible for my own annual subscription.  Though I am a confessed magazine junkie, over the past few years I have started taking fewer and fewer magazines, mostly because I just don't have time to read them all.    And the ones for which I have maintained a subscription, I now receive digitally...except Southern Living.  It still comes in the mail.  I guess there is a little bit of nostalgia going on.  Even though I now pay for the magazine myself, it still seems like a gift from my mom.  And I look forward to every new issue.

The Brown Rice and Sausage Skillet recipe is one that I copied by hand into a spiral cookbook of my favorite recipes.  I credited Southern Living,  but not the exact issue, and I am too lazy to go back through the annual cookbooks and look for it.  Sorry!  I have made a few adaptations to this over the years, which I will also share.

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. smoked sausage
1 medium sized green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Cup chicken broth
2 Cups quick cooking brown rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

With the exception of the sausage, most of these ingredients are kitchen staples or have an easy substitute that is.  As far as I am concerned, you can add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to just about any other combination of ingredients and create a decent meal, so I always have these on hand.

The first step is to saute the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.  In the past, I have used smoked pork kielbasa,  but recently, I have been using the non-cured smoked turkey kielbasa.  Taste-wise it works great, but because of its lower fat content, it requires the addition of a little fat for sautéing.

Because the intent is to lightly brown the sausage, I use just a little bit of butter to aid in the browning.  The original recipe says then to drain the sausage on a paper towel and reserve a tablespoon of drippings in which to saute the veggies.  Again, when using turkey sausage there are no drippings so it is necessary to use a little olive oil for this.

Chop the onion and green pepper and mince the garlic.

Combine and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth to the veggies and bring to a boil.  I often use vegetable broth because that is what I regularly have on hand.  Any kind of broth will do, as will water and a little extra seasoning in a pinch.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the rice, salt, pepper, and sausage.  I use Minute brand brown rice because I keep that on hand to feed our )spoiled) dog.  Really, you can use any kind of rice, quick cooking or not, just adjust your liquid amount and cooking time accordingly.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about five minutes or until the rice is tender.

Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley if desired.

This dish does double duty in that it is just as good as leftovers so works for dinner one night and then a lunch box lunch the next day.

If you have to cook on these hot summer days, this one pot meal is quick and doesn't generate too much heat in the kitchen.  Serve with a fresh salad for a cool and healthy side dish.




by Tracey G,

I didn't like Spanish Rice growing up, all the recipes seemed to involve green pepper etc and I just never cared for it, not sure why, there was just a taste I didn't like. Then one day, I ran across this recipe in Taste of Home (I think, it's been so long!) and it sounded a bit different. So, after a few modifications, I made it and fell in love with it! LOL And it was easy, so it got even better. ;-) I discovered I could throw this together quickly - once or twice it was a last minute addition to my meal and it was done right on time with everything else. Usually I make it on "Taco Night", lol, it goes really well as a side dish, and it's been known to be used as a condiment on top of beef nachos, lol.

The ingredient list is super simple, once again it's usually stuff I have on hand. One thing though, it's supposed to use canned diced tomatoes with chilies, but that was a bit much for Harry, so I switched to just a regular can of diced tomatoes, well, I should say I usually use the "petite" diced. ;-) Anyway, on with the ingredients, starting in the center and going clockwise - instant rice, diced garlic, olive oil, chopped oil, beef broth, canned diced tomatoes, salt, cumin, sugar, chili powder and oregano.

To start, you sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. I start the onions first so they have plenty of time to get clear and soft - then I add the garlic and give it one to two minutes.  

Next step is to add the instant rice to the pan, it gets sautéed for a couple minutes.

Now you add everything else - the broth, tomatoes and the dry seasonings. 

Stir to combine everything well. At this point I take a taste, to make sure it's seasoned the way I want it to be - if I feel it needs some extra of whatever I add it until I get it to the flavor I'm looking for. :-) Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered another 5 minutes. Stir before you serve and that's it.

Here's the recipe:

Quick Spanish Rice

serves 4-6

1/2 c chopped onion

2-3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 c uncooked instant rice

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies, undrained

1 14 oz can beef broth

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp dried oregano

In a large saucepan saute onion and garlic in olive oil 2-3 minutes until tender. Add rice, cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, broth, chili powder, salt, sugar, cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, let stand 5 minutes. 

Food Friday - Dinner on the Grill

July 31st!  All of the sudden the summer seems to be speeding by.  Soon it will be back to school and the freedom of our summer schedules will disappear.Tracey is enjoying some time away with her in-laws this week, so it is my turn to go it alone.  She and Harry have done a little back to school clothes shopping, but otherwise I think that they are trying to squeeze a little more fun and adventure into these last few weeks of their summer break and not think too much about the fast approaching beginning to a new school year.  

I am grateful that Tracey and I have an easy going relationship, one that allows us to work well together through the ebbing and flowing of our lives.  For me, this is a big deal.  I have never really been a fan of group projects because it always seems the work is never evenly distributed and I end up doing way more than my fair share.  That is certainly not the case with us.  Tracey has restored my faith in working with others. It is nice to have a project that you enjoy and the opportunity pursue with someone who is truly a joy to work with!  I have missed our conversations this week, but I am glad that Tracey and Harry had have this time with Grandma and Grandpa.

And now on to food...

I am still on my outdoor cooking kick.  This may be because we are about to have some major landscaping done at our house and I am trying to justify including a small outdoor kitchen in the plan.  Or, it may just be that it is easier and burgers taste better when they are grilled.  Whatever the case, this week's recipe is an open faced grilled burger topped with creamed spinach.  This recipe is adapted from one in the current issue of Cuisine at Home magazine.  

Creamed Spinach
2 TBS butter
1/4 Cup minced onion
2 TBS flour
1/2 Cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 Cup low sodium chicken broth
Salt, pepper, ground nutmeg, and cayenne pepper to taste.  I probably used a 1/2 tsp of each, maybe?  I'm not sure.  Focus here on the "to taste" part of the instructions.
4 Cups rough cut spinach
1/4 Cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the onion and cook until it is translucent.  Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.  Whisk in the milk and chicken broth followed by the seasonings. Bring this mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the spinach stirring until it is wilted, then add the cheese and lemon juice.

The spinach is rough cut to keep it from being too "stringy" when the dish is served.

The spinach sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.  Reheat before serving.

Burgers
1 Lb ground beef
garlic
Worcestershire sauce
onion
garlic
salt and pepper
Texas toast

Using a pound of ground beef, make your favorite burger.  I added a little onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.  Shape the burgers and grill to your desired level of done-ness. 

In the final minutes of grilling the burgers, brush both sides of Texas toast with olive oil and place them directly on the grill.  Toast until it is golden.  The turn and repeat on the second side.

To serve, place a burger on a single slice of Texas toast and top with the creamed spinach.

The recipe makes 4 servings.  

The creamed spinach sauce can also be used to top chicken or a pork roast.


Have a great weekend!

Food Friday - Simply Salads

from Kris B.

I grew up with a stay-at-home mom who cooked dinner nearly every night, a dinner that most often was meat, potatoes, and vegetables.  Our family meals were like those that restaurants now try to lure you in with by touting their fare as "home cooking."  Of late, both meat and potatoes have gotten a bad rap from various diet gurus.  I have to admit that though we do not eat meat and potato dinners every night, I do like both.  In my cooking now, I live by the motto, "Everything in moderation."  I am always trying new ways to enjoy both of these things while still being conscious of healthy eating habits.

This Grilled Red Potato Salad is a healthier way to enjoy a potato side than is, let's say, a loaded baked potato, french fries, or even those home style mashed potatoes that my mom made.  Potatoes really are not "the enemy."  It is the way we cook and dress them that often pushes their calorie count over the top.  Served atop a fresh green salad with a honey mustard dressing, these grilled potatoes are "just enough" to satisfy that meat and potato kid that still lurks inside me.  This salad is a perfect light, but also filling, side to serve with any kind of grilled meat.  If you are firing up the grill to cook the potatoes, it makes sense to throw some chicken, steak, a pork roast, or even burgers on the grill at the same time.  And then you have a complete meal and you didn't have to heat up your kitchen!

INGREDIENTS

4 large red potatoes 
Non-stick cooking spray
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp honey mustard
Juice from 1 lemon
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp vinegar
4 Cups any kind of salad greens
1 Cup shredded carrots
1 diced red bell pepper
1 diced red onion

Dice the red pepper, onion, and shred the carrots.  

(I cheat and buy shredded carrots in a bag at the grocery store.)  Place them in a large bowl and toss with the salad greens.

Whisk together the garlic, honey mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar.to make the dressing.  

This can be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill.  Slice the potatoes about 1/2 inch thick.  

Spray one side with non-stick cooking spray/  Place the sliced potatoes with the sprayed side directly on the grill.  cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are a deep golden color.  Spray the top side and flip the potatoes.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

When you are ready to serve, toss the salad and the dressing together in a large salad bowl.  Either layer the potatoes on top, or plate each serving, placing the potatoes on top of the tossed salad.

This recipe serves 4-6.

A few more thoughts:

• Because there are only two of us for most meals at my house, I don't toss the full amounts of salad and dressing at once.  I do it on an "ass needed basis."
• Make the salad your own by adding any other salad fixings that make you happy.  The carrots, red pepper, and red onion add color that makes this a pretty dish when served.
• If you want to make a hearty meal out of this salad, add some diced ham or bacon.
• The grilled potatoes alone are also a tasty side if you sprinkle them with a little garlic pepper after spraying them with the non-stick spray.

Happy eating!


from Tracey G

It's been a busy summer week for sure! The weather has been beautiful and we've been able to enjoy the beach quite a few days this week - nice! But that also means needing easy suppers that can be ready to go when we get home - Harry and I are usually there until at least 6 pm, so planning ahead is a good idea, lol. I try to have things ready to go for when we get home, because if I have to do prep work and cook, it's 7:30  by the time we're actually eating, if not later, because you have to get the car unpacked etc - and that's where this salad can come in handy! I remember the first time my mom made this - I was totally skeptical that this combination of ingredients was going to be weird and a flop, lol. Was I wrong! They go fabulous together, and I was happily surprised ;-)

This salad is pretty much a meal in itself - with the bacon, pasta and olives - you don't need anything else if you don't want to have anything else! But it goes great with anything really, burgers, chicken, pork chops etc. I like to use the high protein pasta - that gives it a little more "oomph" in my opinion. ;-) I think the one I used for this batch was high protein and higher fiber too.

There's really not a whole lot of steps to this one, it's pretty basic and a lot can be adjusted to your tastes, more bacon, less bacon and same thing for the olives - more or less, up to you! I guess that can even be said for the dressing too, lol - go with whatever your tastes dictate! :-)

The ingredients are simple: elbow macaroni (even that can be adjusted to whatever you like or whatever you have on hand), crisply cooked bacon (holds up better after it's mixed in the salad with the salad dressing), sliced salad olives and salad dressing. Mayo works too if that's what you prefer. I've always had it with salad dressing, so that's generally how I make it.

I happened to have some bacon leftover from a breakfast-for-dinner night I had with Harry, it was a 24 oz package of bacon and I normally use 16 oz of cooked bacon in the salad, so after our simple supper there was just enough bacon leftover to make my salad with, which made it even easier to prepare, lol. Usually to get my crispy pieces of bacon, I cut up the raw bacon then fry the bacon until crisp. This particular batch I'd cooked in the oven, my favorite way to prepare bacon these days, lol. Much easier and less mess - although, firing up the oven in the summer can be brutal, lol. But it's about 20 min on a cookie sheet at 

400 ° F, give or take. I start keeping a close eye on it at around the 15 minute mark - doesn't take long to over-do it! LOL My smoke alarms have been proven to work a few times, lol.

So, all you do is cook your pasta according to the package directions, then combine that with a pound of chopped crisply cooked bacon, sliced green salad olives and salad dressing. And that's that, lol.

There's really not a set recipe for this, as sometimes it takes more salad dressing than other days for some reason and so forth, but here's some basic amounts to get you started:

Bacon Green Olive Macaroni Salad

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained well

1 lb bacon, chopped and crisply cooked

1 large jar of sliced salad olives - that's to taste, I get the largest jar I can generally find as I love green olives!

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c salad dressing (or mayo if desired)

Combine all the ingredients, mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve, allowing at least an hour for the flavors to blend.

Enjoy! 

App Gift Card Giveaway Winner!

 I am happy to announce that the randomly chosen winner of our App Gift Card giveaway is.... Linda Stroud! Congrats Linda! :-D All you have to do is send me your information either via Facebook private message or to my email address (traceygehring24@gmail.com)! Once we get that we can get your prize to you! :-)

Again, I'd like to thank all who took the time to visit us and leave comments! I know that I can speak for Kris, as well as myself, when I say that we truly appreciate your support and friendship!! And as always, stop by often - you never know when we might have a giveaway!! 

Thank you again!!

Tracey 

Beans and Corn - Oh My! ;-)

by Tracey G

This Food Friday I'm on my own as my wonderful cohort is vacationing it up and loving every minute of it! ;-) Which is exactly what you're supposed to do on a vacation! I am happy she's having a great time, even if she did forget to stuff me in her suitcase, but that's ok - I'll forgive her ;-)

This week I stuck with something even more simple, I think, than usual, for a yummy salad. And it's totally customizable, I can think of lots of variations on it, adding cilantro, parsley, jalapeno etc and I know I've added some crushed garlic a time or two. It also goes with lots of things - I served this particular batch with a new grilled pork chop rub recipe I ran across - it involved brining, and that was something I'd never done. I gave it a whirl and was it easy and produced such a lovely chop! Only thing was it required a bit of pre-planning due to the brining time needed. But, I digress, lol - that's a recipe for another time! ;-)

Back to the Black Bean and Corn Salad - I love the fact it uses frozen corn - so you can make this any time of the year, not just in corn season! And it's easy because you don't cook the corn, just dump it into the bowl and add your stuff to it. It even chills the salad for you, lol. 

The ingredients are simple ones - (clockwise from bottom) a lime or two, can of black beans, frozen corn, cumin, red pepper sauce, olive oil  and red onion. Now, you can also add salt and pepper to taste, I usually don't until I dish up my own personal serving. That's because when I was cooking for my mom, I had to find ways to omit the salt in things I was making as she was on a salt restricted diet. Lemon or lime juice is a great substitute for the salt flavor, so it's not really missed in this salad!

Combine all your salad ingredients - the chopped red onion, corn and beans - in a bowl large enough to mix it up in without having beans and corn flying out everywhere, lol. 

In a small bowl, combine your dressing ingredients. Sometimes I have to use 2 limes depending on how "juicy" they are, sometimes I end up with the driest limes - getting at least 2 prevents that from messing me up ;-)

Then all you do is dump your dressing over the salad ingredients in the bowl and mix well. That's it. I let mine sit out for awhile to defrost the corn and chill the salad as I usually am serving it that day with dinner, but you can store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I also sub ingredients as needed, if no lime, I use lemon juice, no red onion – I use regular, etc. and I usually double the recipe!

  

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 can, 14oz, Black Beans – rinsed and drained

2 c frozen Corn kernels

½ Red Onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp Cumin (I eyeball it, and go to taste)

2 tsp Hot Sauce

1 Lime, juiced

2 tbsp Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for at least 15 min for corn to defrost & flavors to combine, salt and pepper to taste, then toss and serve.

And don't forget you have until midnight tonight (07.17.15) to add your comment and receive a chance (entry) to win the $20 iTunes or Google Play gift card! Winner will be announced Saturday, July 18, 2015!! Good luck!! :-)

App Gift Card Giveaway! Extended!

Hey everyone, hope you are all enjoying your week so far! This is just to let you know we've extended the entry deadline through midnight Friday (07.17.15) for the $20 iTunes or Google Play gift card - your preference! We'll announce the winner on Saturday 07.18.15, so that gives you until Midnight EST on Friday to get your comments in, here on the blog, for an entry! Good luck and thanks for reading! :-)

Cheers,
Tracey

Tuesday (Not) in Texas - Layers

My husband and I are enjoying a glorious vacation in Asheville, NC.  It has been a much needed time of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.  We have been careful to balance our time between doing and being.  It is funny to me that when you have the opportunity to slow down and make every move intentionally, a theme often emerges.  For me this week, it has been layers.

When we first arrived in Asheville, I immediately noticed the layers of the mountains, both the colors and the textures.  Nature is full concrete and tangible examples of layers, all something complete in themselves yet all necessary to create another whole.  Since while here my goal is to break completely free from my photo funk,  I started thinking about how all of these layers of the mountains appear in photographs; how, as photographers, we rely on light and shadows to create depth in photographs, which themselves are two dimensional objects.

While I was contemplating photographs, I realized that the whole premise of editing in Photoshop is based on layers, and that I really have no clue how to use this tool.  I have heard people talk about having many, many layers of editing on a single photo.  My first question is "how?"  And my second question is "why?"  That, however,  is a whole different discussion hearkening back to last Tuesday"s post.  I thought I was over my need to rant on editing, but I guess it runs through several layers of my being...how many is apparently yet to be determined.

Ah yes, the multiple psychological  emotional, and spiritual layers of human beings...probably infinite in number, thus resulting in job security for an almost equal number of psychologists and psychiatrists out there.  Dermatologists, those dealing with our physical layers,  have nothing on these guys...with only the three, or maybe eight depending on how you count, layers of skin we all have.  The visible and the invisible layers that make up each of us, how do we understand the "I" that they create.

This brings me to my own personal object lesson on layers from a few days ago.

My husband and I did one of those painting adventures where a room full of artistically challenged people show up and in a couple of hours produce an actual, loosely termed, work of art.  I am by no means an painter, but I do understand the process theoretically.  We began our masterpieces by laying down the background.  Next was the middle ground, which was to be some rather abstract trees, almost shadow-like representations of trees that were intended to add depth to the painting.  This is where my husband started to get frustrated.   He can't see depth in paintings or photographs; so, trying to create them seemed impossible to him.  He kept saying, "These don't look like trees."  To which I kept saying, "They are not supposed to look like trees; they are just a layer to add texture and depth to the image."  That did not compute for him.  The best I could do was to encourage him to keep doing what the instructor told him to do even if he "couldn't see it" at the time.  He did; and ultimately created a respectable first painting.

And so here I am left internally debating the  notion of whether the whole of something is greater than the sum of the parts. as I have been taught.  Did he need to see and understand each of those layers in his painting as complete and finite in their own right in order to appreciate the completed product? This debate is still raging within my mind..a mind .that is technically on vacation.

So since I have nothing conclusive to share here, I'll leave you with the poem, The Layers (1978), by Stanley Kunitz,  American poet and U.S. poet laureate in 2000.

The Layers 

I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.
When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strength
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.
Oh, I have made myself a tribe
out of my true affections,
and my tribe is scattered!
How shall the heart be reconciled
to its feast of losses?
In a rising wind
the manic dust of my friends,
those who fell along the way,
bitterly stings my face.
Yet I turn, I turn,
exulting somewhat,
with my will intact to go
wherever I need to go,
and every stone on the road
precious to me.
In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through wreckage,
a nimbus-clouded voice
directed me:
“Live in the layers,
not on the litter.”
Though I lack the art
to decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written.
I am not done with my changes.

Enjoy pondering the layers of your life.