Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf

I really try to make food that isn't from a box. You know what I mean. It is hard not to use all those mixes. They are so dang convenient. But I think I have the rice pilaf down with out grossing my son out with a million vegetables in it. The vegetables are still on the table, and on his plate for that matter but this takes just as long as the box does, but in fact I get enough for the next night, which always makes me happy and is plain enough that The Ballplayer will eat it.

2 cups long grain)
1 cup Spaghetti broke up into pieces
3 TB Butter
1/2 large Onion minced (really small)
Garlic
3 1/2 cups Chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375

You will need a covered casserole dish






Dice up onions nice and small
Same with the garlic
Chopping garlic makes me feel happy. yes I am weird
Just the smell of garlic makes me happier. Yes I know...weird again
In a large sauce pan melt 2 Tb butter and get onions cooking. If you grew up with my Gram or ever ate at her house you know I'm being stingy with the butter. She would have use quite a bit more. I will add a little more with the rice.
You aren't looking for much color so keep the heat on medium and once the onions are translucent add the noodles.
And now cook them until they are brown and I mean brown.
Once the noodles are brown. Once the noodles are about half way brown I add the garlic. I don't want the garlic to burn. It gets bitter. Now the noodles and garlic should be good and cooked.
Add one more TB of butter. Ones enough but I can feel my Gram's spirit in the room and I almost added two.
Add the uncooked rice. I always loved this as a child. The smell of the rice toasting with onions and garlic is heaven. I was a strange child.
I like to add a little color to my rice. This looks good
Dump into your casserole bowl

add the chicken broth. Last week I made homemade broth. It was heaven. Undated, healthy, pure tasting, and then I forgot to freeze it. Yep what a waste. So I'm using stock in a box. Yay me.

Cover and bake 35 minutes and then let sit on the counter COVERED for 10 minutes
Its done...but it needs to sit
its perfect!!!
Perfect for dinner

Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Dipping Sauce

I love me some fried potatoes. But tonight we are having sweet potatoes fries with dinner. I picked up some whopper sweet potatoes at the market and cant wait to cook with them. And yes I am always this excited about any potato product. I just wish that my daughter was home to enjoy these, as I know she would love the dipping sauce. Its a winner!

Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Dipping Sauce
1-2 Sweet potatoes (its only two of us eating them so one is fine)
olive oil
smoked paprika
salt
pepper

dipping sauce
2 TB chipotle adobo sauce
4 TB mayo

peel your sweet potato
slice into slices, carefully and then into fries
all done
now into a bowl
drizzle with a couple TB of olive oil. Just enough to cover
Add your seasonings
I like to measure in my palms when in a hurry
I take my hands and mix it all up
spread it all out on the trap so not touching. Do your best
Bake at high heat and keep an eye on them, after about 15 minutes they will need to be flipped
Now...time to make a yummy sauce
carefully take a spoon and scoop some of the juice in the can. you're going to want to save those peppers. I am obsessed with these peppers. If you don't think you will cook with them in the next week, put them in a bag and freeze them. They are great in salsas, soups, puree them and use them in sauces like this. Mix the sauce with the mayo. The sweet of the fries will go great with the spicy of the dip.
Mmmm I think it is time to go make more!!

Lemon Broccoli with Pine Nuts

I am crazy about broccoli. I can make it an eat it for dinner. That's weird. I know. We live where it is grown, pretty much year round. And I crave it. There are a couple dishes I make as side dishes and I can pretty much diss the rest of the meal if broccoli is on the table, especially if there is pine nuts on it. Pine nuts or Parmesan cheese. That is it. I'm done. This dish does it for me. And I thought I was just being weird, but even The Fireman thought this dish was point on. He went back and loaded his plate up. I must be doing something right. Now if only my kids ate it the way I do.....




Lemon Broccoli with Pine Nuts
1 bag of broccoli
1 lemon
lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 cup pine nuts
olive oil
Parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 400 degrees

dump broccoli on cookie sheet
zest your lemon over the broccoli
make sure you get all the lemon zest on the back
juice the lemon all over the broccoli
drizzle olive oil over the broccoli
sprinkle some seasoning over the broccoli and then toss the broccoli
roast till brown. I like it brown. The darker the better.
Cover if the rest of your meal is not finished.
And toast your pine nuts in a dry pan.
right before serving, top with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese

Sour Cream Biscuits

Sour Cream Biscuits

I grew up on biscuits. My grandmother made a mean biscuit. Sometimes on a baking tray. Sometimes in a cast iron pan. Always drenched in butter. Toppings optional. Meaning sometimes gravy. Sometimes homemade jam. Sometimes honey. Always butter. Tons of butter. My Gram would have been good friends with Paula Dean. She loved butter. My Gram did not have diabetes. But that is another story.

This is a new recipe from Deep South Dish. It tortured me on my Facebook feed one day and I just knew it would be torturing the family one Sunday morning. Carefully I chose a morning when The Ballplayer was dying from the sniffles and The Fireman had a rough night on duty. I find it challenging to make biscuits while photographing, and texting The Tortured Teenager at college with biscuit fingers. You know biscuit fingers? When the dough sticks everywhere but the biscuits! But you will love this recipe. biscuit fingers and all!


Sour Cream Biscuits

Recipe Adapted from Kitchen of Deep South Dish

4-5 cups of buttermilk baking mix (I used 4)
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of sour cream
Up to 1 cup of regular or diet lemon-lime soda (I used Pelegrino water)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter, melted


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
I like to mix all my dry ingredients together when making biscuits

add in the sour cream in
adding in the lemon lime soda or if you are like me your pelegrino water, a little at a time, until dough comes together and is as Deep South Dish calls "shaggy." Gram Used to say "Just till it comes together"
Sprinkle a bit of the baking mix on the counter, turn the dough onto counter and gently pat dough into a round about 1- 1 /12 inch thick. I like it thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a glass dipped into flour, begin to cut out biscuits.
Place them on a half sheet baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, sides slightly touching for soft biscuits, or about an inch apart if you like the edges more crisp.Drizzle with melted butter, if desired. I brush with butter. That's how my Gram always did it, in fact she brushed with butter after too
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.