Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice, also called Mexican rice or arroz rojo, is a popular side dish in Mexico. I don’t know why it is called Spanish rice. Spanish it is not. Rice dishes in Spain are usually yellow because they have saffron in them. Mexican rice is red because it is often cooked with tomato paste. I used taco sauce instead. Taco sauce has a bolder flavor and can be used to add variety. You can use spicy sauce or chunky sauce, depending upon your preference. I usually enjoy spicy food, but I make this mild because I use it as a backdrop for other dishes. Serve Spanish Rice with tacos or burritos. You can also top this dish with black beans to make a complete meal.

You can make this vegetarian by using veggie broth as your liquid.

Servings: 3 cups of rice, serves 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a strainer (sieve,) a pot with a lid, a wooden spoon, and a fork

Time:  Active time 15 minutes; Cook: 25 minutes, rice in about 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4+1 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 1 medium tomato (8 ounces)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup of your favorite taco sauce
• ¾ cups liquid (water, chicken broth or veggie broth)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• Long grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro (optional)
• Salt

1. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Dice the onion. Seed and chop the tomato, mince the garlic. Set aside.
3. In the pot with the lid, melt four tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and cumin. Sauté until the aromatics become translucent. Watch them and stir often because you don’t want them to burn.
4. Add the rice to the butter and stir until the rice begins to toast and the edges begin to turn brown (about two minutes.)
5. Stir in the tomato, liquid, taco sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
6. Stir. Turn the rice down to simmer and cover with the lid. Simmer for exactly 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes. It is still cooking so it is important to leave it alone.
7. Remove the bay leaves. Using a fork, fluff the rice with the extra butter. Add the cilantro if you are using it. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve warm.

Cauliflower Fritters

Cauliflower Fritters

We participate in Meatless Monday. We aren’t going vegan, nor gluten free. We are just trying to cut back on meat. These Cauliflower Fritters are delicious. You can serve them as is with a little sour cream or on a roll as a slider. You can use them to sneak veggies into the diet of picky eater.

You could add any herb or some shredded cheese. You could also change up the seasoning to suit your taste. I purchased riced cauliflower, but you could buy a fresh head and rice it yourself. Do not purchase frozen cauliflower. It is too soft.

Servings: 12 fritters (3 fritters with a side make a meal. 2 sliders make a meal.)

Hardware: A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a large bowl, a small bowl, a spatula, a non-stick skillet (I used cast iron), optional-ice cream scoop

Time: Active time: 5 minutes; Cook: 10 minutes; fritters in 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups riced cauliflower (I purchased mine in the produce section)
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan

1.       Slice the onions and roughly chop the chives

2.       Place the cauliflower into the large bowl and zap for 2 minutes.

3.       Add everything to the work bowl of the processor but the breadcrumbs, green onions and the frying oil. Pulse until the mixture forms a soft dough. You should stop a few times to scrape down the sides and bottom of the work bowl. The mixture should be able to form a soft ball. If it is too soft add flour or cheese. If it is too dry add a tiny bit of oil. Fold in the green onions.

4.       Heat the oil in the skillet over medium. Place the breadcrumbs into the small bowl. Form the cauliflower mixture into golf ball sized balls. I use an ice cream scoop or a ¼ measuring cup to make sure the fritters are uniform in size. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs. The dough is so soft it will sort of form a patty shape when you place it in the pan. If not give it a little squish.

5.       When the pan is hot, sauté the fritters 4-5 minutes on each side. They should have a crispy crust on the outside. Make sure that they are not burning. You may need to coat the pan between batches. You can keep the cooked fritters warm on the lowest setting in the oven. Serve warm.

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

My husband loves Tex-Mex food. I was going to make enchiladas for dinner. However, after making the sauce, I realized that we were out of shells. Now what? I was staring into the pantry when it came to me that we were out of tortilla shells, but we did have pasta shells. Why not? I mixed Tex-Mex flavors with Italian American pasta and now we have Enchilada Stuffed Shells. Foodies call this Fusion Cuisine. Call it what you want, it is yummy.

You can purchase your favorite enchilada sauce or make your own. Same with the taco seasoning. After cooking, you could top this with chopped tomatoes and a little cilantro.

Servings: 6-8

Hardware: A very large pot, parchment paper, a cutting board and knives, measuring cups & spoons, a large skillet, a wooden spoon, a colander, a regular spoon, and a 9 x 13 glass baking dish

Time: Prep 20 minutes; Cook 25 minutes; Dinner in an hour

Ingredients:

• 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
• 1-pound ground beef
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• ¼ green pepper (4 ounces)
• 1 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning (you can use a package or make your own)
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 2 + 1 cups enchilada sauce (You can buy 2 large cans)
• 1 + ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt & pepper
• Cooking spray

1. If you are making your own enchilada sauce, do that first. You can make it a day or two before.
2. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
3. Dice the onion and green pepper. Pre-measure everything and set aside.
4. Spread out a large sheet of parchment paper. Fill the large pot with salted water and bring to a full boil. Add the shells and cook according to the package directions. Follow the instructions for al dente, which means that they have bite. The shells should still be firm because they will cook more in the oven. Drain them completely and rinse them with cold water. Place them open side down on the parchment paper.
5. While the shells are cooking, heat the large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion and green pepper and cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Return the mixture to the pan and add the taco seasoning, cream cheese, 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese. Bring to a simmer and stir until the cream cheese is melted. Cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
6. Spray the bottom of the baking dish with cooking spray. Add just enough of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Gently fill each shell with the beef mixture and place the shells, facing up, into the prepared dish. If there is any beef mixture left over, you can nestle it around the shells or freeze it. Pour the enchilada sauce over the shells and sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with a side salad.