Contemporary Kitchen - Mexican Fire Rice

This is another one of my go to recipes.  The ingredients are basic and almost always on hand and it makes great leftovers.  I've used a couple of different recipes for this, but the inspiration for this version is one I found on pinterest, from Southern Plate.

Of course, change number one is to take out the chicken and replace it with black beans.  The second change was to use quinoa (pronounced Keen-WAH) instead of rice.

So, we begin by cooking the quinoa.  Quinoa is easy to cook, especially if you buy it pre-rinsed.  It can be a little pricey to buy in the grocery store, as a small box can run you $5-6.  But you can get 4 lbs at Costco for $8 - the best deal I've found so far.

Combine 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water in a pan.  Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  If there is any water left, drain it.

Return it to the pan and fluff with a fork.  Quinoa is a seed, and so when it is cooked it "sprouts".  And it has a sort of crunch to it, with a nutty flavor.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Ro-tel tomatoes, onion, black beans, seasonings & half of the cheese.  The original recipe called for instant rice, hence the need for the liquid (chicken broth) to cook it.  Since the quinoa has already been cooked, I omitted it.

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish.

Cover with a layer of cheese.

Bake at 350°.  The recipe says 30 minutes, but that was to account for cooking the Instant rice.  It just needs to cook long enough to get hot and bubbly.

Yummy!  This recipe makes a lot for one person (I was eating it for almost 2 weeks for lunch!), but it should freeze well.

Here is the recipe as I made it, but it leaves a lot of room for interpretation.  Try adding veggies like corn, and of course you can use chicken if you and your family prefer that.

Please comment and let me know what you think.  And don't forget to share this posts with your friends!

Grace and love,

Jenn

Contemporary Kitchen - Pesto Ranch Chicken

I have a busy schedule, and we have fallen into the very bad habit of eating out practically every night... No Joke.  I'm trying to save some extra money and this is the most obvious place to start.  I have tons of recipes pinned on pinterest that I would like to try but I have one major problem.  My Dear Hubby hates casseroles and anything that comes out of a crockpot... purely psychological, I think.  I mean, if you choose the right recipes, what is the difference between a pot roast cooked in the oven and a pot roast cooked in a crockpot, other than you can put it in the crockpot before you leave for work and eat it when you get home?  So you may see a few more of recipes like this from me... crockpot recipes revamped for the oven.  I know, completely opposite of what most people want, but I will also include or link to the crock pot recipe for the normal people out there.

Another aside... we are a family of three that eat small portion sizes and do not eat leftovers... so even if I am following a recipe for 8 servings, I usually cut it down at some point so we have just enough for dinner. Therefore, my pictures will not necessarily reflect the recipes serving size, but I will post the recipe for the larger size.

The idea for this recipe is Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken from Picky Palate and appears very simple as most crockpot recipes are... just dump it all in.  This does make a creamier sauce, and I may play with my recipe in the future to make a creamier sauce as well.

There are only four ingredients and nothing out of the ordinary. Chicken; I used boneless skinless breasts. I happened to have thin cut on hand (I only used 1/3 of the package shown and froze the rest), 1 packet of ranch dressing mix (I have a jar, 3Tbs = 1 Packet), I also added granulated garlic, and a jar of pesto sauce.

Mix the ranch and the granulated garlic, coat both sides of  the chicken and place it in a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Stir the prepared pesto and spoon some over the top of each piece of chicken. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake.  These thin cut breasts took 30 minutes.  I would probably cook regular breasts 45 minutes.

Guess what? Dear Hubby loved it! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe... Please be sure to comment and let me know what you think and/or if you try it!

Love and God's peace to you,
Christine

Kitchen Traditions - Italian Beef Sandwiches

Here is another recipe from our Grandma Carper.  This was a frequently served for Sunday Dinner at Grandma's house.  Little did we know just how easy it was! I don't make this nearly as often as I should, it is very well received with my picky eaters.

So, again. basic ingredients here, the recipe calls for a 3-4 lb rump roast... we don't eat that much so I used a 2 lb roast. I did not adjust the rest of the recipe (I love Au Jus and figured the extra would not go to waste)  water, beef bouillon cubes, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and red pepper flakes.

A little aside here... I am a wimp when it comes to heat, this is the only recipe I ever use red pepper flakes in. Therefore, I do not buy them in the store... Whenever we order pizza, I get a couple of little pouches that they give with their to go/delivery orders so I always have a tiny bit on hand. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste;  I only use a pinch of red pepper flakes, Grandmas written recipe called for "a sprinkle" of red pepper flakes and had no measurements for the Italian seasoning and garlic.

Be sure to spray your Crockpot with non-stick cooking spray to make clean up easier. I put the water and the bouillon in the crock pot first, then add the roast. Sprinkle the seasonings on top.  Put the lid on, turn the Crockpot on low and cook for 10-12 hours.  Yes, 10-12 hrs. I am sure you could adjust the heat to high and cook for less time, but I've never tried it.

After the allotted cooking time has expired, remove the roast from the juice and slice/shred.  Grandma's recipe says slice, but I can never get it to slice, it always just kind of shreds.

Place the beef on a hoagie bun and serve with Au Jus.  Alternately, you can place it back in the Au Jus and place it in the refrigerator to reheat and serve tomorrow.  This is how I do it as it takes so long to cook. I make it the day before and then warm it to serve for lunch/dinner the next day.  You can also jazz this up by adding some cheese and/or some sauteed onions and peppers to your sandwich. Yum!

I hope you enjoy this recipe... Please be sure to comment and let me know what you think and/or if you try it!

Love and God's peace to you,
Christine

 

Kitchen Traditions - Chicken a la King

This recipe is from our mom, JoAnne.  I love this recipe because it is quick & easy, and also makes great leftovers!

Mom and Dominic baking cookies - Christmas 2010

You'll notice that the recipe is called "Chicken" a la king, but I don't actually add chicken.  That's the other reason I love this recipe...it was really easy for me to substitute beans for meat and still have it be delicious!  And, as if I haven't raved about it enough, the list of ingredients is all things I usually have on hand.

Start by melting the butter in a large pan.  (Not like stock pot large, just a dutch oven or so.)

Whisk in flour, salt & pepper and bring to a boil.

Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth, or water) & milk and whisk together.

Set on low heat and stir occasionally while it comes to a boil.

Drain the peas & beans.  (If you are using chicken, just drain the peas.)  I usually use 2 cans of Northern or White Kidney beans.  And the recipe calls for 1/2 can peas, but I like peas so I add the whole can!

Let the gravy come to a boil and boil for one minute.

Add the peas & beans (or chicken) and allow to heat through.

Yummy!

Serve over biscuits.  It's like biscuits & gravy for dinner!

If you're a carcass eater, you can cook and cube the chicken first (cook it in the chicken broth), and use that instead of the beans.

Be sure and comment to let me know what you think and/or if you try this for yourself!  Also, now you can follow us on blogger...check it out on the right side of the screen :D

Grace and love,
Jenn