Mexican Rice

One of the kids most requested meals is soft tacos. I am usually super lazy and don't serve anything along side them other than the toppings. Tonight something must have come over me because I decided to make Mexican Rice! Here it is.

Recipe:

2 medium tomatoes, cored and peeled
1 onion peeled and cored
1/3 cup oil
2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapenos, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
pepper

Directions:

Process the tomatoes and onions until smooth (it should equal 2 cups).

Heat oil in a dutch oven. Saute rice until golden, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and 2/3 of the jalapenos. Cook until fragrant.

 

Stir in puree, tomato paste, and broth. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.Turn the heat down to low,cover and cook until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. 15-20 min. Stir and check after 12min. Fluff rice and stir in chopped fresh cilantro and remaining jalapenos. Taste for salt and pepper.

Baguettes

I have been making bread for quite a few years now, but I have never made a baguette or a french loaf. Well wait no more! I did it and boy am I glad I did. Just look at that beauty. Take another look. Now make one for yourself.

Recipe:                                                                  
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour

Method:
Note: the yeast I use can be added with the flour and does not start in the water like traditional yeast.

In the bowl of your mixer, add the water and sugar. Add the flour, but hold back about 1 1/2 cups. Add the yeast.  turn your mixer on and knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. If it still is very wet and sticky, like the picture on the left, add 1/2 cup of flour and again let your mixer go for another couple of minutes. You want to see a mound of dough beginning to form in the middle of the bowl. If you don't see this happening, add for flour. If you see see a mound forming in the center of the bowl, don't add anymore flour. Let your mixer do it's thing for another 5 min. The dough should then begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl and actually "clean" the sides. It will look like the picture on the right. Once you have a smooth soft dough,  remove it from the bowl and rub it with oil. Put it back to the bowl, cover it with saran wrap or a cloth and let it sit until it almost doubles in size. This could take anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on the temperature in your room.

 

 

Once the dough has doubled in size,  set it out on a floured surface and divide it into to equal pieces. I didn't take pictures of the next part of the process, but I will next time and then add them. Until then, one at a time, roll out each ball of dough into a rectangle as long as you want the baguettes to be. Once you have your rectangle, roll it up into a log jellyroll style or like you would cinnamon rolls, pinching the seams together. Place the log seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Cover and let your baguettes rise for about another hour.

Once your baguettes have risen, you can make decorative slashes in them. You need a sharp knife to do this so you don't tear at the dough. Place them in a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 -25 min. If your want a crust to form on the baguettes, use a spray bottle and spray the baguettes while they are in the oven a couple of times.

This bread is delicious!
I recently used this recipe to make garlicky cheese sticks which I will post when I make them again. They were fabulous as well.

Mom's Banana Bread

I think banana bread is a lot like chocolate cookies, everyone thinks they have the best recipe, and there are a lot out there. Well I really really do have the best! I have converted anyone who has tried it. (At least that's what they tell me to my face).I got this recipe from my Mom who can't remember where she got...but thank goodness she did.

Recipe:

1 cup of banana, mashed (about 3)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

All right, this may look weird, but I swear it isn't what you think. I think that the best bananas to use are over ripe ones that have been frozen. They just taste better, but they do look rather....gross? I just wanted you to see that they will be watery "un" banana like. If you don't have any on hand you can use bananas from the counter......if you want.

Because they are so wet, they don't mash well so I like to add the sugar to the bananas so there is something to mash against.

I don't like to find chunks of banana in my bread so I really like it mashed well. You can adjust it to your own preference.

Add the oil, sour cream and eggs.

Mix this well with a fork. You want to make sure everything is combined now so you don't over mix later.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder,  and salt. Instead of sifting, I just use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.

I loath sifting. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's just how I feel.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Using a spatula, fold the flour into the wet ingredients. You should treat this batter like you would muffins.



This is me folding.

Don't over mix it! If you look, you should see some streaks if flour still left. I don't men chunks, just some streaks.

I use a non stick loaf pan, but I stick spray it with some baking spray. If you don't have a nonstick, you should grease and flour your loaf pan.




Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 min.

Check your loaf after an hour... you can check for doneness with a skewer or a longer toothpick. Stick the tooth pick into the middle of your loaf, if it comes out clean with no crumbs or batter attached, it is done. If you don't have either, you can just gently push the middle of your loaf, if it springs back when you release it, it should be done as well.

I know, everyone says to let your loaf sit in the pan for about 10 minutes, but I never do. I run a knife along the side of the pan and pop that baby out.

Do you see that the top is quite flat? That means we mixed it just right. If it crowns in the middle, that means it was over mixed. I have never done a taste comparison.... that's just what I read.

I hope my Mom"s Banana Bread converts you from your not as good as this recipe!

Chicken Fajitas

My family has a bit of an unhealthy love affair with flour tortillas. We adore them. Anything goes in them. We wrap pb&j's, we make sandwiches, we melt cheese and sprinkle green onion in them, we grill them, we make quick thin crust oven pizzas with them we have even used them in place of  hot dog buns if the need arises. Really I have about 10 other ideas for them, but tonight, we made chicken fajitas with them. Yum!





Recipe For The Marinade:                                        Dry Rub:


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts                        
juice of 2 limes                                                            1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red wine vinegar                                                 1/2 tsp cumin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced                                            1/2 tsp salt                          
                                                                                     1/2 tsp pepper

  

Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips. Mix the lime juice, red wine vinegar and garlic. Pour the marinade over the chicken. I like to marinate in a Ziploc bag because I feel that it surrounds the meat better. This marinade won't submerge the chicken so mix it up  regularly.  This can be left for up to 4 hours, but no longer really.  Because there is so much lime juice in the marinade it can end up "cooking" the chicken breasts. It can cause them to turn a little mushy.

For the dry rub, simply combine all of those ingredients and mix then well. I some times like to double the rub, but it depends on whom you are feeding these to. Children might like it a little lighter on the  chili powder, although my 5 year old had no problem with these.  Remove the chicken strips from the marinade and rub them with the dry rub. Heat an oiled  grill pan or skillet  and cook until the strips are done.  This should take no more than 5 min. (depending on the size and thickness of the strips)              

With these, I didn't let my griddle get hot enough before adding the chicken so i didn't get a really good brown on the chicken.                                 

I served mine with some fried onion and red peppers seasoned simply with some kosher salt.












As  for toppings, I made my fresh salsa,  shredded some lettuce, and grated some cheese.

I like to warm up my flour tortillas in the microwave.  Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. If you have a microwave lid, cover the plate as well. Microwave for about 30 sec.  Wrap and enjoy!

Salsa

You could go to the store and buy a jar of salsa, but why in the world would you if you can make it fresh at home!  This is a fantastic recipe that I got from my friend Candice.  It is so fresh and delicious. This does make a lot, so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Give it a try!

Recipe:

8-10 roma tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves-minced
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 med red onion-minced
2-3 jalapenos ( adjust for your own taste )
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime should do it )
                                                                                     salt and pepper to taste
Method:
I like to cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the juice and seeds. You don't have to, but I find that it is just too juicy if you don't.  Dice the tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Mince the garlic, cilantro,  onion,  and jalapeno. Add this to the tomatoes. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix and refrigerate.
This is great with tortilla chips or with toasted baguette. It can also be used as a side to go with tacos or fajitas.

Eat Your Vegetables!

Some people may call me a bad mother,  but I like to think of myself as a  success oriented  mom.  My kids don't love to eat their vegetables but I know that it is important. What I also know is that if you give a kid something to dip those "nasty" veggies into....they will eat. So what if they might consume more dip than vegetable.  my youngest son began by using the veggies as a vehicle to get the dip to his mouth, but slowly he began to nibble on a vegetable here and there. Now his dip is actually accompanied by a bit of vegetable! I call that a success. What ever you might call it, this is a nice dip that can be enjoyed by all. With or without the veggie. 

Recipe:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
1/2 cup sourcream
2 tbsp fresh dill
1 tsp garlic seasoning (like  Johnny's garlic seasoning)
pepper

Mix together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Of course you can eat it right away, but I think it is better once the flavors have had a chance to sit together.  If you can't find the seasoning you can mince up a couple cloves of garlic and add some seasoning salt instead.

Shishkabobs

                                                  

                                                You might think my kids were wild animals the way they crave meat.

My daughter has been begging to have shishkabobs for dinner, but it being the middle of winter in Calgary, I have been putting her off. But today, we got a Chinook so with the warmer here, fire up the 

Barbecue!                                            

    Recipe:1/4 cup oil                                              

    1/3 cup honey                                                                  

    1/3 cup soya sauce                                                                                                                                    2 cloves garlic, minced                                                                      

      pepper                                                                                                                          

       5-6 chicken breasts                                                                                                   

                                                                 

                                                                   

Combine all of the marinade ingredients. You might want to use a whisk to fully incorporate the honey. I like to use a rasp for the garlic. It really inparts great garlic flavor because it almost turns it into a paste.

 

Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces and place in the marinade. Refrigerate for 4 -6 hours, trning the chicken occasionally.

 

While the chicken is marinating, I like to souk my skewers in water for a couple of hours. I don't think 1/2 is long enough. They will catch on fire if they aren't thoroughly saturated.

I have stopped mixing my veggies and meat on each skewer. Obviously you shouldn't marinate the veggies with the meat for fear of contamination. I find the kids don't love all of the veggies and are really only after the meat, so it makes it  just pleases everyone to do it this way.

I just coated my veggies with some oil and seasoning salt for about 1/2 hour.

If you are cooking these on the barbecue, heat the barbecue on high and then bring down the temperature to about med heat.  If you can turn one side of the barbecue to med low for the veggies. 

The chicken might take about 10 -15 min depending on the size of your cubes and how tightly you thread them on your skewers. I like them just to be touching...not crammed on.

 

I served ours with some basmati  rice, but you certainly don't need anything.

Dinner Buns

Now that I have one post under my belt, I decided to make something that I was pretty sure would turn out. Bread. I love bread. I love the smell of the yeast, the feel of the dough in my hands and most importantly...the taste. I originally got this recipe while I was working in the kitchen at a curling rink. Although I never stop trying new recipes for dinner buns, I always come back to this one. It consistently delivers a beautiful, soft and delicious bun. I have also used this recipe to make cinnamon buns with great results. This time around I did take lots of pictures and I hope it helps anyone who is scared to try making bread. Enjoy!

Recipe: 

1 1/2 cups warm milk                            2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups warm water                          1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar                                         2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt                                                 5-6 cups flour            

 I will first start by saying that the yeast that I use is meant to be mixed in with the flour and not started with the water like most recipe. Began by combining the warm milk and water with the sugar in the bottom of your mixer bowl. I usually give this a little stir just to slightly dissolve the sugar. Add the oil and beaten eggs and give this another quick stir. I then add the flour. This is a really important step actually. When ever I make bread, I always hold back about 1 cup of flour. You just never know how much flour your dough will take on the given day. It is simple to add more flour if needed. Now because of the yeast I use, I sprinkle it over the flour and then with my dough hook in place, I start on a low speed to begin to combine the flour and wet ingredients.

. At about 5 min, the dough should start to pull away from the sides a little and form even more of a ball. If this isn't happening after 5 min....add more flour. Eventually what you are looking for is the dough to completely pull away from the sides of the bowl and almost leave it looking clean.  Rub your hands with about a tbsp of butter, pick up the soft and slightly sticky dough and rub it with butter. Place it back int he bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until almost double. This could take 1 -2 hours. It really depends on the temperature of your room. You can check your dough by sticking your finger into it. If after 5 min of poking it, the hole from your finger has filled, it could probably be given 30 min.  more rising. If after the 5 min, the hole is still there, you are ready to form your buns.When the flour has been moistened,  add the salt and turn your mixer up to about 6 ( I know this is probably not recommended but it's what I do) . You will be able to tell right away if you will need more flour. Add as needed but no more than 1/4 cup at a time. The kneading process will take up to 8 min, even with a mixer. Don't rush the flour. You want your dough to be a little loose and sticky for at least 5 min. Look for the dough to kind of mound in the center of the bowl but still stick to the sides I use a scale to weight my dough to ensure a uniform size, but you certainly don't need to do this. Shape the pieces dough into balls. Try to make sure the top of the balls are smooth, as they will bake up exactly as they look now. I use parchment paper on my baking sheets. It guarantees easy clean up! How closely you space your bins is up to you.  If you are looking for buns that you have to tear apart, then keep them quite close...even just touching. If you want individual ones, obviously space them further apart. Once all of the balls are shaped, cover your tray with plastic wrap or a dry tea towel. Allow them to rise again for about an hour. When they have almost doubled  in size, bake them at 350 for about 20-25min. When they are done, they should be nicely browned on the top and a little on the bottom. I like to brush the tops with butter, but it's not necessary. I always move them to a rack to cool. Try to resist eating them immediately, but I bet you can't!