Mexican rice

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 of a medium onion*
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic *
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup plain tomato sauce*
• 4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add dry rice and cook with the onions for about 5 minutes or until rice becomes a golden brown color. Add in the garlic to the rice and saute for one more minute.

Add in broth and tomato sauce (add slowly into the rice, not directly onto hot pan!) And then add in the parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.

*Recipe from here. We love this as a side dish to all our Mexican recipes!

Bacon cheese biscuits

4 slices thick-cut baon
2 c flour, + more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBS chopped fresh chives
6 TBS cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus melted butter for brushing
1 c grated Colby or cheddar cheese
1 c buttermilk (make your own by combining a little less than 1 cup milk w/ 1 TBS white vinegar or lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes.)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve 2 TBS drippings. Finely chop bacon.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped bacon, and chives in a medium bowl. Use pastry blender or your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until is in in pea-size pieces. Stir in the cheese w/ wooden spoon. Add buttermilk and reserved bacon drippings and gently mix until just moistened. Dough will be loose.
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead 3-5 times, just until it comes together - Don't overknead or dough will be tough. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick, then cut out biscuits using floured 2-inch round cutter. Arrange on ungreased cooking sheet. Reroll the scraps and cut out more biscuits. Brush tops w/ melted butter.
4. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 mins. Serve warm

*Recipe and photo from Food Network magazine

Creamy Coleslaw w/ Grapes and Walnuts

3/4 c walnut pieces
2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS dijon mustard
1 TBS sugar
Salt/pepper
2 TBS olive oil
2/3 c sour cream
1 small or 1/2 large head green cabbage, shredded
3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
3 TBS chopped fresh dill
3 TBS chopped fresh tarragon
8 scallions, chopped
2 c seedless green grapes, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread walnuts on baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted - 5-7 mins. let cool, then coarsely chop.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk vinegar, mustard, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in large bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until well blended, then whisk in sour cream.
3. Add cabbage, cilantro, dill, tarragon, scallions, grapes, and toasted walnuts to the bowl. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours before serving.

*Recipe and photo from Food Network magazine

Grilled Summer Squash

1 1/2 pounds sliced summer squash
1 sliced onion
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Chopped parsley and mint
Shaved Ricotta salata

Preheat grill to medium high. Toss squash and onion with olive oil, salt, pepper. Grill 3-5 mins each side. Toss w/ more olive oil, lemon, parsley, and mint. Top w/ shaved ricotta.

*Recipe and photo from Food Network magazine

Spiced Rice w/ Nectarines

2 Nectarines
Olive oil
Pinch each of cayenne and salt
2 pinches each of cumin and cinnamon
3 c cooked rice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c sliced almonds
1/4 c chopped dill

1. Preheat grill to medium high. Cut nectarines into wedges and toss w/ olive oil and pinch of cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Grill until marked, 2-3 mins each side.
2. Chop and toss w/ rice, lemon juice, splash of olive oil, pinch of cumin and cinnamon, and almonds and dill

*Recipe and photo from Food Network magazine

Light and Fluffy Wheat Rolls

Not that I've been cooking much lately.

But, I did make these for Thanksgiving dinner with the fam; they are always a hit and make a ton.

Hopefully once finals are over and graduation is complete,

we will get off of our taco bell and pizza hut kick.

But probably not until then. 

• 
  
• 2 packages active dry yeast (or about 3 1/2 tablespoons
• 1 3/4 cups warm water 
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (for the tops of the rolls)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with the sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix salt, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled again, about 30 minutes.
4. Pull dough apart and roll into 24 balls (somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball). Place in a slightly greased pan and let rise once more for another 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F . Bake for 10 mins. Pull out and butter the tops with the 1/4 melted butter. Place back in oven for another 8-10 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.
6. Makes 24 rolls. 

What to do resorts to chicken usual

I've recovered from the Thanksgiving weekend,

and have a month-long stock of turkey in my fridge

(and, of course, it's all left up to me to finished because

1. my husband doesn't like left-overs

and

2. even if he did, he doesn't like turkey)

So I've got chicken thawed out,

(yay. another bird.)

but no clue what to do with it...

I think I will do the usual, since I have yet to post about my 

Chicken Usual Recipe.

(I may have just made that name up on the top of my head).

I kind of made it up, and its kind of delicious

(and by kind of, I mean really.

I've had guests ask if it was marinated all day to taste this good.

Nope. Done in less than an hour).

Chicken Usual

1 chicken breast (or two - Adam and I usually split one boob in half)

1 egg, beated

Flavored Crackers of your choice - our favorite is the one brand that has like, sour cream and cheddar flavors. But we mix it up sometimes too

Parmesan Cheese

Pepper

Mozzarella Cheese

Optional - Slice of ham 

Basil

Thyme

Pound out the chicken a bit, to get it relaxed and a bit thinner.

While you're in the pounding mode, go ahead and crumble up the flavored crackers in a baggie. Add a couple of shakes of Parmesan cheese and pepper. Here you can be creative with your flavors. Want some spice? Add dried pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Don't add more salt, though. The crackers and cheese will give it plenty

Cut off a couple slices of mozz. cheese, and lay it flat on the chicken breast. Add slice of ham if wanted (tonight I think I will try crumbled turkey bacon). Sprinkle some of the cracker/cheese mixture on top of the mozz cheese/ham. Also, sprinkle on some basil and thyme. 

Roll up the chicken breast with the cheese/ham on the inside. Stick a toothpick in it if it doesn't stay together well on its own.

Dip the rolled up chicken into a bowl with the beaten egg, coating it well. Then, either roll the chicken around in the baggie with the crackers, or place the chicken in a pan and sprinkle the crackers on top, making sure to coat the whole chicken (I prefer the chick in bag method). 

Cook at 425 degrees F for 20 mins. Chicken is so delicate to cook - if you start to smell it, it's probably done. Cut a small slit on the top of the chicken to check if its done; if the juices run clear and the meat is an off white, looks juicy and moist, then its perfect!

Serve with green beens and my EASY MASHED POTATOES:

1 potato per person is usually plenty

Cheese

Butter

Sour cream

Salt/Pepper

Parsley flakes

Cut up potatoes into small cubes, skinning if you want (I like to lazily skin potatoes - half on/ half off

Boil in a pot of water on high for 20 or more minutes. The trick of making these mashed potatoes very easy is to boil them until they are very soft - soft enough that a stabbing them with a fork makes the cube fall apart.

When they are soft, drain them and put in a bowl. If the potatoes are soft enough, a wooden spoon will be sufficient to mash them. Throw in a handful of cheese, half a cup or so of sour cream, a couple tablespoons of butter, and whip up like crazy.

Top with salt, pepper, and parsley flakes. 

(sorry for no photos. Gotta work on that).