Yellow Rice

My husband makes rice often. I prefer flavored rice. I try to get him to buy the yellow rice in the packages but he would rather have white rice. I figured I would try to make some yellow rice to see how it comes out. This yellow rice had a nice flavor. Since it is very easy, I will probably make it from now on then to buy the package. Plus I control the ingredients and it uses up some spices I actually don't use often.

Yellow Rice
2 tsp vegetable oil 
2 Tbsp shallots, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup Jasmine rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black ground pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the rice, chicken broth, tumeric, salt, and pepper.Stir.
4. Bring the rice to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover.
6. Allow the rice to simmer until tender about 20 minutes.
7. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago............................I made Hawaiian Rolls.
Two years ago..........................I made Fresh Orange Juice.
Three years ago.........................I made Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding.

Did you already know.......................
-In Chinese, the word rice means food.
-Besides Antarctica, all the other continents grow rice.
-There are over 40,000 varieties of rice.

Chimichangas

When I was in high school, I would eat out with my friend. She would order a chimichanga. I had never heard of a chimichanga before she ordered it. She told me it was a fried burrito. It sounded good but I still would order a hamburger. When I was young, my philosophy was why order anything but a hamburger. My philosophy now is to try new foods. I actually have never ordered a chimichanga in a restaurant. Since I like introducing different foods to the kids, I figured I would make some chimichangas. I hardly fry foods so the kids thought this was a nice treat.

Beef Chimichangas
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup pepper jack, shredded
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups oil
toppings: sour cream, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, black olives, onions etc.

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat over medium high heat.
2. Drain the excess oil form the pan.
3. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno, oregano, pepper.
4. Cook until the onions are tender.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of the meat mixture just shy of the center of each tortilla. 
6. Top the meat with the cheese. 
7. Fold in the sides almost touching.
8. With the sides tucked in, roll the bottom up tightly to form a burrito.
9. Refrigerate the chimichangas for 20 minutes.
10. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 
11. Carefully, add the chimichangas. 
12. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Remove from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towels. 
14. Serve immediately with desired toppings.  

Recipe adapted from Kraft.

One year ago.........................I made Chicken Enchiladas.
Two years ago.......................I made Migas in a Taco Bowl.
Three years ago.....................I made Chicken Salad Roll Up.

Did you already know........................
-Chimichangas are a deep fried burrito.
-It can consist of meat, vegetables, and spices of choices.
-The creation of the chimichanga is unknown but believed to originate in Arizona.

Kentucky Hot Brown

In honor of Kentucky Derby, I made Kentucky Hot Brown. I really wasn't sure how the kids would like this dish. It did have bacon which is always a plus. Kentucky Hot Brown normally is made with roasted turkey breast but to save time I used deli turkey meat. After assembling the open face sandwich, a rich Mornay sauce tops the sandwich. It was so good. My kids loved it. Since my husband wasn't home, I made him up a plate. Reluctantly, he tried it. The kids kept telling him how good it tasted. He agreed with the kids. If you are having a Kentucky Derby party, then serve this dish. I'm betting it will be popular.

Kentucky Hot Brown
4 slices thick bread, like Texas toast
14 oz. deli turkey breast   
8 bacon slices, cooked
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in quarter
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus topping
salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley for topping

Directions:

1. Heat the oven on broil. 
2. Cut the crust from the bread.
3. Toast the bread lightly. 
4. Set onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Place the toast onto the baking sheet. 
6. Top the toast with layers of the turkey. 
7. Place two slices of bacon over each turkey slices.
8. Place the quartered tomatoes on the side. Set aside.
9. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
10. Whisk in the flour to form a thick roux. 
11. Cook the roux for 1 minute.
12. Whisk in the heavy cream. 
13. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. 
14. Remove from heat and whisk in the Pecorino-Romano cheese.
15. Season with salt and pepper. 
16. Pour the Mornay sauce over the open face sandwiches. 
17. Top with some shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese.
18. Place the sandwiches in the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
19. Sprinkle with Parsley and serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from Brown Hotel. 

One year ago......................I made Mexican Rice.
Two years ago....................I made Guacamole.
Three years ago..................I made Coconut Cream Cheese Pinwheel Cookies.

Did you already know..................
-In 1926, the Brown Hotel in Kentucky had over a thousand guest attending their dinner dance.
-Around midnight, the band would take a break and the guest would retire to the kitchen for a meal. 
-Chief Fred Schmidt created the hot brown for the hungry dancers.

Skillet Red Potatoes

Right after I had made recipes with herbs de Provence, my sister had mailed me some. She thought it would be something I would like. Since I have a nice quantity of herbs de Provence, I decided to try it on some potatoes. Also, I had some left over Gruyere so I sprinkled some on top. Now, Gruyere isn't cheap so I want to ensure I use it up. It was a nice addition to this dish. I had planned on making some mashed potatoes but elected a change. We have mashed potatoes almost every week. My daughter loves them. She would pick either mashed potatoes or rice for every meal (or cupcakes). I am glad I made something different. The kids really liked this dish. This dish would be easy to change the herbs or cheese. It is an easy dish to make.

Skillet Red Potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
12 small red potatoes, cut in quarters
1 Tbsp herbs de Provence
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the butter and allow to melt.
3. Add the red potatoes. 
4. Season the potatoes with the herbs, salt, and pepper.
5. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Uncover and allow to cook for another 8 minutes or until done.
7. Season to taste and sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

Two years ago..............................I made Chocolate Chip Bars.
Three years ago............................I made Nuevo Texas Waldrof Salad.

Did you already know.............................
-Potatoes were first cultivated by the Incas. 
-Around 1537, Europeans discovered potatoes when the Spanish conquered Peru.
-In Washington D.C., there is a potato museum.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Lately, I have been slacking in the cooking. When I do cook, I've been making some of our favorite meals like lasagna soup or blueberry oatmeal. It is because Spring is here and I just don't want to be home. The flowers are in bloom and it is hard to stay home. Well, this weekend was rainy or cloudy so I figured I would stay home and rest. I asked my husband what kind of dessert should I make this weekend. He elected chocolate chip cookies until I showed him the dessert I was thinking we should try. He agreed with my selection. This dessert was gone beside the piece my children wrapped for their lunch. It is a soft bar. It is creamy with a nice touch of lemon to them. I didn't wait for them to chill before serving. I guess it would have firmed a little more but my husband didn't want to wait an hour for them to cool after cooking so there was no waiting additional time. I did change the recipes topping and the crust. I really like how the dessert came out.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Crust:
4 cups mini vanilla wafer cookies
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp lemon zest, grated
8 oz. butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse the cookies, sugar, and lemon zest until the texture of sand.
4. Add the melted butter. Pulse until combined.
5. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.
6. Press the remaining mixture into  baking dish. 
7. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove allow to cool.

Filling:
2 packages (8 oz.) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. In the food processor, combine the cream cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice,1 Tbsp lemon zest.
2. Process until smooth. 
3. Pour over the crust. Set  aside. 

Topping:
1 cup of the crust filling
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the crust filling, sugar, and flour.
2. Cut in the butter with a fork.
3. Evenly distribute the topping over the filling mixture.
4. Bake the bars for 35 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The middle will still be a little jiggly.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour.
6. Transfer the bars to the refrigerator to allow to chill for several hours before serving.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

One year ago................................I made Cream Puffs.
Two years ago..............................I made Softies Morning Rolls.
Three years ago............................I made Double Chocolate Cookies.

Did you already know.......................
-In April, the average temperature for North Carolina is in the 60s.
-North Carolina has three geographic demographics: the coast, piedmont, and the mountains.
-Piedmont is the land at the base of a mountain.