Jamaican Rice and Peas

I am desperately trying to remember where I got this recipe.  I served it with some Caribbean Jerk Salmon.  Delicious!  The peas are not really peas, but rather red beans.  This was very good, and not very spicy.  perhaps it was because I only used a jalapeno instead of a Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper.  I also didn't have coconut milk (which would have been delicious and added a ton of fat and calories) so I used chicken broth instead.  Hopefully I'll find the link and add it in soon.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are tender, stir in the coconut milk, green onions, Scotch bonnet, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with sliced green onions.

Mexican Chicken casserole

I found this recipe in my MIL's neighborhood cookbook. It was really easy, and delicious. I used shredded cheddar cheese, and I used close to a cup of cheese, because I thought it said 1/2 # oops! I only used 2 chicken breasts, and there was plenty of chicken. I also reduced the amount of salsa to 1 cup, and added 1/2 c of water to make up the difference.

4 chicken breast halves, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper (or 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 red bell pepper), finely chopped
1 small bag frozen corn (I used 12 oz is that small??)
2 c. mild salsa (or medium)
2 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. shredded Colby Jack cheese (or whatever you like)
1 c. chicken broth

Heat oil; add chicken, onion and pepper. Cook until chicken is done. Add corn, broth and salsa; bring to a boil, then stir in rice and cheese. That's it!

Cafe Rio - Style Lime Rice

This recipe comes from my MIL's 2008 neighborhood recipe book. It was submitted by Carol C* I honestly have never been to Cafe Rio- I know I've heard it's the best. So I don't know how to compare it, but it was really good. Aaron doesn't care for cilantro, but I put a little bit of fresh parsley in there for color. I also halved the recipe, and there was tiny bit left over.

2 c. long grain rice
2 cans (approx 4 c.) chicken broth
1 cube butter
1 c. chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
zest and juice of 2 limes

Saute the celery and onion in the butter. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with butter. Add the broth, lime zest, juice and cilantro. bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer; cover and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is done.

Mexican Rice

I found this in my MIL's new neighborhood cookbook. Submitted by Jackie M* I did it as written and it turned out great. The lid wasn't on very tight, so it didn't cook very well. I had to cook it a little longer, and it was perfect. I added some sour cream to it, and I loved it.

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 c. uncooked white rice
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. tomato sauce
1/4 c. salsa
2 c. strong chicken broth

Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and lightly golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt, cumin and chili powder. Stir in onion and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, salsa, and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with fork. If you like spice, add extra cumin and chili powder, and use hot salsa.

Chicken a la King

I haven't made this in a long time, but I had celery and mushrooms that need to be used up, and I wasn't in the mood for stuffing, so I pulled out this recipe from Jo Ann L*s cookbook
I pretty much followed it exactly. I didn't have slivered almonds, and I used fresh mushrooms.

1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c chopped celery
4 oz can mushrooms or fresh sliced
1/2 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. diced cooked chicken
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
cooked rice
slivered almonds, for garnish

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add celery and mushrooms. Saute until tender. Stir in flour and let simmer 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick. Add diced chicken, milk and parsley. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice or in baked puff pastry shells. Garnish with slivered almonds, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

cubanos frijoles

I made this Monday or Tuesday. I halved the recipe, but used 1 lb of ground beef. I didn't have any cilantro, so I used some dried parsley. I didn't have chipotle powder either, but I used a couple of dashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce.
Cubanos Frijoles

• 2 cups brown rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
• 1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)

1. Place rice and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.
2. While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a deep skillet or wok. Season with Cajun seasoning. When meat is almost done, add the onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Stir in the beans, olives, vinegar, and chipotle powder, if using. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot over or mixed with rice.

Vegan Curried Rice

I made this to go with the Naan. Very easy- and very good. I didn't have enough chili powder, and I don't know why you would only do 1 cup of water. I also used chicken bouillon - not vegan - oh well. And I forgot the pepper, oops.

Vegan Curried Rice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground curry powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup uncooked white rice

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Sweat the garlic; when the garlic becomes aromatic, slowly stir in pepper, cumin, curry powder and chili powder. When spices begin to fry and become fragrant, stir in the bouillon cube and a little water.
2. Increase heat to high and add the rest of the water and the soy sauce. Just before the mixture comes to a boil, stir in rice. Bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

oven-baked brown rice with mushrooms

I got this recipe from The Joy of Cooking. It's yummy and it fills you up! I reduced the amount of oil. You can also cook it on the stovetop (reducing the heat to low) if you don't have a dish that goes from stove top to oven. We often serve it with chicken and broccoli.

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 1/2 c coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onions
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 c long grain brown rice
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 1/4 c chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 35o F.
Melt or heat butter or oil in 2 qt stovetop- to-oven casserole over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add rice and pepper and stir until coated. Add chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake until the rice is tender and the stock is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand covered for 10 minutes before serving.

Black Beans, Corn, and Yellow Rice

I made this last week sometime, and neglected to add it. I just used plain white rice. I didn't have a yellow rice mix. We put it in tortillas the first night and ate the warmed up left overs with chips. I also added shredded cheddar cheese to the meal.

Black Beans, Corn, and Yellow Rice

• 1 (8 ounce) package yellow rice mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Bring the rice, water, and olive oil to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Mix together the beans, corn, lime juice, and cumin in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked rice and serve.

Herbed Rice Pilaf

I made this to accompany something great that Aaron made (I'm trying to remember what it is so I can post it) It was really easy and tasty. I didn't have very much celery, and I just cooked it on the stove top (for 20 minutes). Very easy!

Herbed Rice Pilaf

• 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

In a skillet, saute rice, celery and onion in butter until the rice is lightly browned and the vegetables are tender. Spoon into a greased 2-qt. casserole. Combine all remaining ingredients; pour over rice mixture. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes or until the rice is done.

Rice with Black Beans

Rice with Black Beans

I don't have any instant rice, but if you increase the liquid a bit and cook for at least 20 minutes it turns out just fine. I also used real garlic, and olive oil instead of vegetable oil.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup instant white rice

1. In a large saucepan, cook and stir onion in oil until tender and translucent, but not brown. Add tomatoes, beans, oregano and garlic powder. Bring to boil. Stir in rice, return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cover.
2. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Salsa-Rice Burritos

This was quick and easy, even without instant rice. It came from my Betty Crocker cook book. I used a 14 oz can of corn drained, and chopped up some red and yellow peppers (about 1/4 c). I don't think I used that much cheese. I had a half of an avocado and that went very nicely on top. I thought it would be too spicy for the kids, but it wasn't.

1 1/2 cups salsa, plus additional if desired
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 c uncooked instant rice
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernal corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
8 flour tortillas (8 inches in diameter)

Heat 1 1/2 cups salsa and the chili powder to boiling in 10 inch skillet. Stir in rice; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. * see note if you don't have instant rice* Stir in beans, corn and cheese.
Spoon about 1/2 c rice mixture onto center of each tortilla. fold up bottom of each tortilla; fold over sides. Secure with toothpick if necessary, Serve with additional salsa.

*I used regular rice so I added 1/2 c of water to the salsa and cooked it for 20 minutes.

Creamy Corn and Garlic Risotto

This was so easy, fast and delicious! Very cheesy, but no meat. I actually had some fresh parsley that has survived the winter so far (the chives and basil are long gone). I only used 3 cloves of garlic, but I could have used 4 and the kids wouldn't have cared. I used regular long-grain rice and I trusted the recipe when it said to simmer UNCOVERED, and they were right, it does cook the rice, so all was well. I cut back on the Parmesan cheese a little and used 1/2 cup Italian blend cheese instead of plain mozzarella (the Italian blend was almost gone and I didn't want to open a new bag of mozzarella).

3 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup uncooked Arborio or regular medium grain white rice
3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat 1/3 cup of the broth to boiling in 10 inch skillet. Cook garlic in broth 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice and frozen corn. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in remaining broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and creamy; remove from heat.

Stir in cheese and parsley.

From Better Crocker's Quick & Easy cookbook.

Orzo and Rice

This was really simple and easy to add to. It's like a homemade rice-a-roni! I added a little more chicken bouillon and some chopped onion and parsley. I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on top after it was served. It went well with some grilled chicken (marinated in Italian dressing). I ate the leftovers for lunch today!

I hadn't bought orzo pasta before because every where I found it was too expensive. But I found it for $1 for 16 oz. which isn't too bad. Not as cheap as other pastas, but still good.

Orzo and Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add orzo and brown until golden.
2. Add rice, bouillon, and water; bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to medium-low.
3. Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until all water is absorbed; serve.

Cubanos Frijoles

I made this last night. From allrecipes.com again. I used white rice because I didn't have any brown rice, or I would have used it. The only changes I made were that I left out the chipotle powder, because I didn't have any, and I used less Cajun seasoning. I thought it was very good. I also halved the recipe and there were leftovers. Hope you like it.

Cubanos Frijoles
SUBMITTED BY: William C. Smith

INGREDIENTS
2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place rice and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.
While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a deep skillet or wok. Season with Cajun seasoning. When meat is almost done, add the onion, and cook until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Stir in the beans, olives, vinegar, and chipotle powder, if using. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot over or mixed with rice.